Interesting comment about Muscat's perception of the J League Defensive Transitions. 

Not long after they settle into Ball Possession Opposition, Japanese teams often squeeze intensively - with greater pressure than any HAL team.

Next time I watch a J League team, I'll keep an eye out for Muscat's identified pattern of play from them.

 

Agree with this comment, but thought they'd become a little more clinical in finishing in the last few years.

J League teams are good to watch.

They also appear to have less imports than CSL teams, who are reliant on them.

All japanese teams are great at possession  and high energy  pressing . But like their  national team  their lack of towards kills them. Most of their golden boot winners are brasillians. 

Muscat made a comment about watching a lot of J league games and found a very common style. Namely, when winning back possession teams then step up slowly, because there is little pressure by the opposition. So he ensured that MV were aggresssive in  winning back possession and thereby pressuring the Japanese players in a way they arent used to. This exposes at least some of the excellent background work done by MV in preparing for the game.

Best team effort I have seen this year by an A League team in either competition.
High quality stuff.

Good game by Victory last night.
I get the impression HAL teams are behind the eightball with the high intensity game ,because we just can't play it in 30C heat.But Victory toughed out the initial barrage and finished over the top of a tiring team.
Probably the travel ,early season fitness and squad rotation worked against Kawasaki .
One thing that impressed me with Victory was the individual battles.Victory really dug deep to try and win their one on one duels.I think the toll this took on the japanese players is underestimated.It's all very well to have superior running fitness.But that fitness doesnt give you much in the tank if you have to engage in constant physical battles,which do drain you.This is where the Aussie teams can gain an advantage and I believe thats what contributed to Victory finishing stronger.
Special praise goes to Deng who did well playing out of position against speedy, quality opposition and Hope looked classy in his cameo.

I'm seriously NOT a victory fan, but that my friend was a top shelf game 

this

I managed to catch the game and was surprised that they played at a similar level to what they do domestically. Normally J league teams drop in quality when playing the acl in my opinion

One of the salient characteristics of the top J League teams like Kawasaki, Kashima and Gamba, is the fast handling speed of their players individually and the rapid ball circulation  of the teams.

Because they play at a faster tempo in the top J League teams,  when they play our teams who move the ball at a slower tempo they are quicker to disturb HAL teams' build  ups. We just aren't used to their speed and tempo of play. When we try to play at their speed of play in possession we usually cough up the ball after 3-5 passes when their squeezing is at its most intense in periods of the game.

Mistakes are punished more severely. The margins of error are smaller in terms of decisive actions effecting results of games.

In addition, their players control hard hit, awkwardly bouncing balls, so quickly. Their control in tight spaces and ability to create intricate attacking interplay is also of a high quality. 

Last night Muscat raved about the quality of Kawasaki, yet MV had won the game. He also alluded to their quantity of quality of players in terms of depth. Muscat was really chuffed to have defeated such high quality opposition last night. Moreover, he was pleased that MV had taken the game up to  Kawasaki by playing proactive football.

I Hope he isn't Joshin around with all this young talent that we have.

Wow, what a game last night!

It was one of the best games I've ever seen an Aussie club team play in. Credit to Victory for winning such a high quality game against such tough, high quality opposition as Kawasaki Frontale.

Every MV player on the pitch played well apart from Berisha. ATM he is hopelessly out of form and Muscat needs to drop him in the HAL. Berisha has totally lost his spatial awareness in terms of timing runs which are not offside. This has adversely effected his confidence.

I didn't really look at Nigro closely either.

I'm not sure Valeri was missed? Brox did a sterling job in midfield. Tasmanian tyro, Josh Hope, was a decent replacement when Brox went to LB.

Antonis is also really starting to hit his straps and play a Milligan type role for Victory. He needs to stay at Victory for a few seasons to play regular football and to hopefully undertake another ACL campaign next year.

Why are we so shit in the ACL. Needs a Poppa coached team in it asap

That's only if we end the group stage on the same amount points as Ulsan though, of course. I was more speaking to our respective chances in our last game.

From the regs:

http://www.the-afc.com/afc/documents/PdfFiles/afc-champions-league-2018-regulations

Head-to-Head Criteria10.5.2.1. higher number of points obtained in the group Matches played among the Participating Clubs in question;10.5.2.2. superior goal difference from the group Matches played among the Participating Clubs in question;10.5.2.3. higher number of goals scored in the group Matches played among the Participating Clubs in question;10.5.2.4. higher number of goals scored away from home in the groupMatches played among the Participating Clubs in question;
Tiebreaker10.5.2.5. if, after having applied the Head-to-Head criteria, two (2) or more Participating Clubs still have an equal ranking, the Head-to-Head criteria shall be reapplied exclusively to the Matches between the Participating Clubs in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, the Group Results criteria shall apply;

My reading is away goals only applies to the 2 games between MV and the club they are equal with. MV needs to either draw 3+-3+ or win. GD doesn't solve every possible scenario.

Only saw the last 20 mins after getting home from our game, didn't see any Ulsan shots by then actually, but did see some top-level attacking play by Hulk and Oscar.

If you want to laugh have a look at the Ulsan vs Shanghai game, Ulsan should have scored 5. Some comical misses.

The kid is a talent, needs more game time. 

That was my favourite match to watch in the ACL so far, in fact in a long time! 

Frontale played some very neat stuff especially in the first half, hit the post and Thomas saved one on the line but in the second half that extra week off (a rare FFA tick of approval) came into effect as Kawasaki looked gassed and the subs that Muscat made also made a difference especially Hope in midfield but also Theoharus which gave them energy in attack.

A big win as it gives them a shot to qualify into the next round,  the match with Ulsan Hyundai is set up to be a beauty, a must-win game for either team and whoever wins that will have the adv to go through based on head to head. 

Currently, as it stands with Ulsan on 2nd based on 'away goals from the first game in Melbourne confusing but true if it ends in a draw Victory have to win against SIPG and hope that Ulsan drop points to Kawasaki. 

But overall well done to Victory and especially Muscat for making those subs with the fresh legs adv they had. 

Both are good comments. While being equal on points Ulsan carries that 2 GD difference on us, but a win in Korea would all but seal qualification for us, although that would be our first ever away win in Asia.

If we draw, perhaps the difference between being home rather than away against a dead rubber opposition in the final round unlike Ulsan edges it for us.

A loss away for us would pretty much end it.

Great late winner for Victory.

Really it's more simply this: Victory need to beat Ulsan.

Think Victory played better without Vieri. KM should give the Josh Hope kid more game time.

Ulsan have Kawasaki in Japan last round too. Kawasaki, whilst being the home team will have nothing to play for either. Would have to say Ulsan favourites to go through at this stage but championship runs are built on improbabilities. 

If sipg win 2 nil or 3 iirc we go into 2nd 

Actually wanted to go but family life tskes5 precedence during weekdays. Only acl game  I'm going to is angry hat lady sipg  game. 

Considering the current miasma of malaise in the milieu, it's a good figure. I wish we could go back to 22k for group stage games, but I can guarantee you that no other A-League team would have drawn 6.6k tonight as things stand.

FT 0-1 between Ulsan and Shanghai SIPG.

Keeps us in third behind Ulsan on GD.

If we can nick a draw away to Ulan and a win at home to an already qualified SIPG we may just be going places.

Poor crowd or good crowd of 6639???. 

Kawasaki were brilliant in possession but  no end product for them

Kawasaki Frontale, more like Kawasaki Behind-all...