Managed by former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou, Yokohama FM defeated the current A-League leaders 4-0 at home in their second match of the group stage round of the tournament.
It didn’t take long for Postecoglou’s team to find the back of the net against current A-League champions Sydney FC. The first goal was scored by Ado Onaiwu in the 12th minute by a deflection, being only the beginning of a long match for the A-League team.
Yokohama’s Teruhito Nakagawa netted the following two goals in quick succession in the 31st and 33rd minutes of the match.
Ado Onaiwu netted his second goal of the match in the 51st minute, increasing the goal count to a staggering 4 goals and effectively wrapping up the match.
In the first half, Postecoglou’s team kept them to only three shots at goal with just one on target as they netted three goals, and eventually an additional fourth.
Yokohama FM dominated the match in both possession and intensity on the pitch, retaining 70 percent of possession.
Postecoglou’s team managed to hold possession with clinical 1-2 passes to effectively progress up the pitch, completing a staggering 726 passes and maintaining a pass accuracy of 90 percent, compared with Sydney FC’s 317 passes at 75 percent accuracy.
Sydney FC have recorded only 1 win in 17 AFC Champions League matches, despite their great results in the A-League.
Ange Postecoglou remains one of the most discussed managers of the past and present season, bringing Yokohama to their sixth title last year and looking to bring a seventh home this season.
Ange Postecoglou recently refused to rule out a move to Europe in the future, but insists he’s not desperate to get over there to prove himself.
Speaking on the Fox Football Podcast with Adam Peacock, the 54-year-old claims he’s happy ‘doing what he’s been doing’ in Japan and looks forward to what the future holds — whether that be in a new continent or not.
“Experience and life have taught me that things can change pretty quick,” said Postecoglou.
“I’m really enjoying what I do at the moment, I enjoy coaching here, I enjoy the club and working with these players in this league so beyond that who knows?
“I still have the same energy and drive I’ve always had for what I do so that means I’ll be going for a fair while longer.
“I understand there’s people saying that I’ve got to get to Europe but I’ve kind of shed having that view that I need to get there to prove something.”
Yokohama FM will face Shanghai SIPG F.C. in their third match of the AFC Champions League Group stage on 8 April 2020.
