Melbourne City’s dramatic 2-1 win over Machida Zelvia in the AFC Champions League Elite will go down as one of the most significant nights in Club history, and not just for the last-minute heroics.
Andrew Nabbout’s stoppage-time strike, just his second appearance since returning from a 12 month injury layoff, capped off a remarkable away performance and secured the first win by an A-League Men’s side over J.League opposition in five years.
It was a night that showcased not only City’s courage, but the depth and development of its next generation. With an average Starting XI age of just 22.8 and six Academy graduates taking the field from the outset, the win was a testament to both youth and togetherness, with nine Academy products featuring across the 90-plus minutes.
Speaking after the match, goalkeeper and Player of the Match Patrick Beach praised the belief that carried City through.
“This is a massive result for us, as a team, as a club,” Beach said. “We are a team of believers and we went out there tonight and believed we could get the win and delivered. I think it was a strong performance, but I’m only as strong as the boys in front of me as well.”
It was an incredible performance from City’s number 1, with the shot-stopper making a number of world-class saves to keep his team in it.
I’m grateful to be able to play my part and that’s what I work on in training and work on every week in games, to be able to make these saves and help the team,” he said post-match. “So I’m just glad that when I was called upon tonight, I was able to do that for the team.”
“I think a winning goal like that is a reflection of the mentality of the group.”
And it was a mentality that was evident from the opening whistle.
City took a surprising early lead inside the first minute, capitalising on a Machida defensive error, before enduring waves of pressure from the hosts. While Machida equalised with a top-corner finish midway through the first half, City stood firm thanks to commanding performances from their defensive unit and the ever-reliable Beach between the sticks.
Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar admitted the first half posed plenty of challenges, but praised the character and commitment of his side, especially in the way they adapted after the break.
“Yes, we had a very difficult time in the first half, for sure. Machida play a very strong physical game… and it took us a little while to settle into the game,” Vidmar said.
“Obviously, the own goal after one minute also helped us. And we only had some moments in the first half where we had some sort of control, but not very long. We had to deal a lot with the direct balls. That is something that we don’t come against too often in our competition.
“But I thought then in the second half, we adjusted a few things and I think the big difference for us was Takeshi [Kanamori] came in and made a big difference, but also we controlled the game a little bit.
“We didn’t turn over the ball like we did in the first half because we were under pressure,” he added. “And it was a much better second half for us.”
It was Vidmar’s substitutes who turned the tide late in the contest. Takeshi Kanamori’s introduction at half-time helped restore control on the right-hand side, while the injection of Nabbout with 20 minutes remaining brought a dangerous threat in attack.
“Takeshi had a big influence,” Vidmar explained. “We had some problems on that side in the first half, and that’s why we made the change at half-time. And he has a lot of experience, obviously, which helped us.”
“All the changes, all the substitutes we made, they came on and made an impact today.
Andy Nabbout – he’s been out for 12 months with a knee injury – came on and played and scored the winning goal. So really happy for him because it’s a lot of hard work to get himself into this position.
“And all the other players who came on also made an impact, and I think it’s very important.
“When you look at our team, we had a very, very young team, it was a very young team with not a lot of experience. So one, to gain this type of experience is invaluable for them, so that will help them with their development.
“But like I said before, I’m very proud of the way they handled the moment because this occasion here was a very big occasion for them and they did an incredible job.”
With back-to-back wins in the AFC Champions League Elite competition, City now turns its focus back to the A-League where they will take on Melbourne Victory in a blockbuster Grand Final re-match this Saturday night – click here to get your tickets!
