The game reflected precisely how little was at stake, as both Melbourne and Chunnam churned out listless performances. There were stretches of pleasing play, but by the end I felt drained.

Perhaps I would have felt slightly more elated had I seen Tom Pondeljak’s goal. But the beauty of Viewers Choice meant that it took the pub until the 6th minute to figure out how to get the game showing.

Pondeljak’s strike was impressive, but I was also happy to note his excellent positioning behind Danny Allsopp. I remain convinced that long balls are ineffective as a means of attack, but they are all the more ineffective when the striker has no one behind him. Last night, Pondeljak was there to pick up the stray rebound, and he took his opportunity with finesse. Not bad, Tommy.

After the goal, Melbourne sat back and allowed the Dragons to attack. For 40 minutes. Painful stuff. A freakish goal from Ko Ki-Gu, from either a horrible pass or a devilish strike, brought Chunnam back on level terms. They deserved it.

Melbourne redeemed itself in the second half, while the Dragons deflated. Short, constructive passes in the midfield gave us humble spectators something to enjoy watching. Danny Allsopp had two fine chances to give Melbourne the lead, but narrowly missed on both occasions. Carlos Hernandez’ presence in the final 25 minutes gave some cause for optimism, as did Evan Berger’s short stint in the final five minutes (why Berger wasn’t brought on earlier instead of Caceres is beyond me).

In the end, it was a pointless affair for both teams, as Gamba Osaka’s 2-0 win over Chonburi FC ensures that Group G is effectively wrapped up. I hope that when the AFC reviews the Asian Champions League, it makes it possible for 2nd placed teams to progress to the next stage. If that had been the case last night, Melbourne and Chunnam would have had everything to play for. As it stands, the dominance of one team means dreary matches between teams that have nothing to play for.

Meanwhile, Adelaide United beat the Pohang Steelers 1-0 to keep themselves in the lead in their group. In their final match, they meet Changchun Yatai in China. A draw will be enough for them to progress to the quarterfinals.

Gamba Osaka have all but wrapped up Group G of the Asian Champions League with their commanding lead. It would take an incredible dip in form for the J-League side to relinquish its place in the quarterfinals now. A draw against Chonburi FC tonight would be enough.

Which suggests that the other match in Group G, the Melbourne Victory’s away match against the Chunnam Dragons, is little more than a friendly. The Dragons may have a slim mathematical prospect of overtaking Gamba – they must win twice and Gamba must lose twice – their position is little better than the Victory’s, who are out of contention.

All this will make tonight’s match a very different affair to the first time these two sides met. That night, Melbourne grasped their debut in the ACL and delivered an impressive 2-0 win over the Dragons. A promising start. But sadly, that’s all it was.

The Dragons have picked up four points against Chonburi FC, putting them in third place. In their domestic competition, they are languishing among the bottom half of the table, with just two wins from eight.

After our premature elimination from the ACL, Ernie Merrick has the luxury of two meaningless matches (in the ACL), a meaningless friendly (against Juventus) and a moderately meaningless competition (the Pre-Season Cup) in which to prepare his squad for the A-League season 2008-09. A bittersweet luxury, to be sure, but one that he ought to capitalise on by ensuring his team is a well-oiled unit come August 16.

Merrick has promised to throw young Nathan Elasi into the mix, suggesting that Adrian Caceres, already on his way out, will lose his place in the team. Tom Pondeljak made his debut for the Victory two weeks ago, and he is expected to be in the starting 11, as Leigh Broxham misses tonight’s clash due to suspension. Carlos Hernández has recovered from his injury and will come in off the bench to help him regain his fitness. Hopefully, Kaz Patafta and Evan Berger will be given solid game time – especially Berger, who has had little time to prove himself on the field.

My tip: I think we can sneak away with a narrow win: 2-1.

Your tip?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8×8Eb3l4Pzg[/youtube]

Chunnam Dragons 3, Gamba Osaka 4

Part 1/5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CVKwpP-w9Y[/youtube]

Part 2/5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cpXG_JQt34[/youtube]

Part 3/5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k-ScgRGDY4[/youtube]

Part 4/5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVed07kt-eU[/youtube]

Part 5/5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdVTuf6MgXk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZrK2BDRvA[/youtube]

Gamba Osaka vs. Chonburi FC, 1 – 1

Part 1: First half

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwcjoV9xpi0[/youtube]

Part 2: Start of 2nd half, Chonburi FC goal

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APM2CzOc5VY[/youtube]

Part 3: Remainder of 2nd half except final minute

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myI2wxiEfZQ[/youtube]

Part 4: Gamba Osaka goal & post-match interviews (in Japanese)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeA33ty-PIo[/youtube]

It looked like it could have been a long night for the Victory defense when Chunnam’s Ronaldo-lookalike, Victor Simoes, came dangerously close to getting in behind Muscat and Vargas in the first few minutes. But that did not prove to be indicative of what was to come, as Chunnam’s attackers rarely penetrated the Victory backline. A half-dozen shots from outside the penalty area constituted the bulk of the Dragons’ chances, while Michael Theoklitos made two critical saves to keep a clean sheet.

At the other end, Chunnam’s defence struggled to contain the Melburnian attack. Archie Thompson and Adrian Caceres found plenty of space to make runs, while Billy Celeski, Nick Ward and Leigh Broxham were a compelling and effective combination in the centre of the park. I did not expect to see Celeski instead of Kaz Patafta, but the Olyroo certainly stated his case for regular inclusion in the starting lineup.

Melbourne moved the ball with fluidity and purpose, but struggled to finish chances. Archie was having a particularly poor night in this department, shooting when he should have laid it off, and passing when he had a better shot himself. Danny Allsopp rarely shone, but was unlucky to have a goal disallowed thanks to a bad offside decision.

But the poor refereeing flowed both ways, with Steve Pantelidis very lucky to avoid a card and a penalty after launching a shoulder at a Chunnam attacker’s head. The Dragons deserved a penalty for that challenge.

It was great to see and hear Victory fans produce the kind of atmosphere that was stifled throughout the A-League season. A crowd of 23,000 felt small, but the support was there, with the packed Northern and Southern stands buoyed by the addition of drums and oversized flags. (As an aside, can anyone explain the green, red and yellow flag?).

Meanwhile, Chonburi FC managed a 1-1 draw against Gamba Osaka. Their ability to withstand ninety minutes of Gamba’s pressure certainly suggests that Melbourne have their work cut out for them against the Thai champions. Conversely, Gamba’s inability to score until the dying minute offers hope that the 6-1 triumph over Houston Dynamo last month was not the norm.

Adelaide United pulled off a surprise victory against the Pohang Steelers in South Korea, winning 2-0 despite having a player sent off at half-time. Their win puts them at the top of their group.

With 20,000 tickets sold and a relaxing of Telstra Dome rules for supporters, this should be a dramatic and memorable night.

There’s a whiff of confidence in the air. Ernie Merrick indicated earlier this week that he expects success in the Asian Champions League. For a coach fond of understatement, that’s a very bold proclamation.

Chunnam’s losing start to the K-League season last weekend may be further cause for optimism among Victory fans, but to be fair, they lost narrowly (2 – 1) to the K-League’s defending champions, Pohang Steelers (who, coincidentally, play host to Adelaide United tonight).

Of more concern to Chunnam coach Park Hang-seo – for whom Saturday’s match was his first in charge of the Dragons – will be the loss of captain and key defender Kwak Tae-hwi, who suffered an ankle injury against the Steelers. Kwak Tae-hwi, those of you who read my original preview of the Dragons may remember, has recently become a national hero in South Korea, after scoring twice for the national team.

Ernie Merrick has his own injury problems to deal with, most notably the loss of Carlos Hernandez. How effectively can the Victory machine operate without Hernandez, who was so instrumental in Melbourne’s late return to form? This will be a stern test for the Victory midfield, but it will be particularly important for Kaz Patafta, who I expect will figure heavily in the Costa Rican’s absence.

Grant Brebner’s removal from the squad list comes as little surprise. His addition in the first place appears to have been little more than a time-buying strategy to allow the club to bring in Tom Pondeljak, who did not officially join the Victory until late February. But Pondeljak will not be featuring tonight, as he is yet to train with the Victory.

Nick Ward has recovered recovered from his groin injury, and not a moment too soon. Hernandez’ absence only deepens the need for Ward who, like Hernandez, provided a much more incisive attacking thrust towards the end of the A-League season.

A few other questions hang over tonight’s match: Will Billy Celeski and Nathan Elasi get their Victory debut? Will Merrick use Adrian Caceres, or will he hand Evan Berger a more dominant role? How will he use Leandro Love, if he does at all?

Tonight’s match is critical, not least because it’s at home. Ernie Merrick wants two wins from two, and with Gamba Osaka hosting Chonburi FC tonight, it’s clear why round 1 is crucial. But I think Melbourne will be able to come away with a win tonight.

My prediction: Melbourne Victory 2, Chunnam Dragons 0

Your tip?

Chunnam Dragons:
City: Gwangyang, South Korea
Stadium: Gwang-Yang Stadium, capacity 14,284
Coach: Park hang-Seo

The Chunnam Dragons come into the 2008 Asian Champions League hoping to do better than in the 2007 ACL, when they crashed out at the group stage. Like last year, they qualified for the Asian Champions League by winning the Korean FA Cup. The FA Cup has been their only arena of success so far, having never won the K-League (the closest they ever came was runner-up way back in 1997). Last year, they finished 10th – very poor, considering it’s a 14-team competition.

So Chunnam are inconsistent but capable, beat-able but dangerous. I’m glad we have Chunnam in our group – not K-League champions the Pohang Steelers – but the Dragons should certainly not be underestimated.

One man surely feeling the pressure to perform in Park hang-Seo, who took over as head coach in January after coaching Gyeongnam FC for the past three seasons. He replaced Huh jung-Moo, who himself has gone on to become the Korean Republic’s national coach, indicating just how highly he is rated. Park has big shoes to fill.

Judging by the team’s representation in the Korean Republic’s national team, Chunnam’s strength lies in defence. Of the three Chunnam players picked for Korea’s squad against Turkmenistan in early February, two were defenders: Kang min-Soo and Kwak tae-Hwi. The other was Yeom dong-Gyun, a goalkeeper. Earlier this year, the Dragons further bolstered their defence by enlisting the aid of Serbian-turned-Korean Lee Sa-Vik (the Koreanised version of his real name, Lee Sabic). At 32, Sa-Vik is an experienced defender who has been a familiar face in the K-League for a while, most recently playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

One of those enlisted for the national team was Kwak tae-Hwi, who became a national hero after scoring twice this month: first against Turkmenistan in Korea’s World Cup qualifier; and then again against China earlier this week, in the opening match of the 2008 East Asian Championships. For a player with just three caps, that’s an impressive return.

Last year’s leading goalscorer for the Dragons was Sandro Hiroshi, one of three Brazilian attackers. The team captain, Song jung-Hyun, is another player to keep an eye on.

There’s not a whole on YouTube about the Chunnam Dragons, but I did find this video from 2006. It’s a nine-minute video, but the opening minute is worth watching if just to get a feel for what Chunnam support is like.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h5_02NpvS4[/youtube]