Buck stops for Ceres-Negros FC in AFC Champions League qualifiers as it falls, 2-0, to Tianjin Quanjian
WHAT was an historic and spirited run in the 2018 AFC Champions League qualifiers for local side Ceres-Negros FC came to an end yesterday after it fell, 2-0, to Tianjin Quanjian FC in their final preliminary round qualifying match in China.
While it hardly played like a team that had little time to acclimatize to the conditions in Tianjin after getting there just 12 hours before game time, still the home team, boosted by its star players, proved to be a tough nut to crack throughout the match as it went on to advance to the group stages of the AFC Champions League while eliminating the “Busmen.”
Showing that it was not only at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium to go through the motions but to go all-out and compete, Ceres, which had its arrival delayed after having trouble getting visas to travel to China, got the home team working early with good ball movement.
Sun Ke got Tianjin in scoring position in the 11th minute but his shot went off and failed to hit the mark.
Not to be outdone, Ceres put itself in a spot to score when Stephan Schrock narrowly missed the goal in the 12th minute.
As the opening half progressed, Tianjin grew more confident, unrelentingly testing the defense of Ceres.
It eventually broke through in the 19th minute when Frenchman Anthony Modeste headed the ball into the goal off a corner to give his team the upper hand.
Tianjin tried to build on the cushion with more aggressiveness in its attack but Ceres’ defense would hold its own to keep its deficit to a manageable one point by the halftime break.
With the outcome of the match still open, the two teams started the second fold aggressively, trying to create opportunities for early goals.
The home team though would beat Ceres anew to the punch, with Mr. Modeste beating the defense to score anew at the 57th minute off a pass from teammate Alexandre Pato.
Tianjin continued to put pressure on Ceres with Mr. Pato nearly adding another goal at the 69th minute.
Despite being buried in a hole in the wind-up, Ceres kept fighting with Mr. Schrock and Bienvenido Maranon trying to make things happen.
The Chinese team stayed firm and on top of things the rest of the way and booked the victory.
With the win, Tianjin earned a spot in Group E of the Group Stage of the AFC Champions League along with South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC, Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC and another qualifier from the East Region bracket.
For Ceres, the Philippines Football League inaugural champion, the defeat saw its “head-turning” ways in the tournament end.
Not highly regarded as the other competing teams in the preliminary round, it went on to beat Myanmar’s Shan United in the first round and then upset Brisbane Roar in the second round to come within one win of making further history in the Champions League.