Pohang Steelers head coach Park Tae-ha warned of AFC Asian Champions League Two (ACL2) opponents Tampines Rovers’ “fast players” in their pre-match press conference on Wednesday (Oct 22).
It was that same blistering pace – and strength — that Hide Higashikawa displayed as he chased a long ball into the box, outmuscled Australian defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis, sold him a dummy, and curled into the side netting for his side’s shock opener on Thursday night.
“We have to be careful of their Japanese players who have speed,” he told reporters a day earlier.
Red-hot Higashikawa
And as if to serve an early warning, the in-form Japanese striker took just 16 seconds to prove Park right, netting his second goal in the continental competition and leaving the South Korean in utter disbelief on the touchline.
Higashikawa, who came into the game with a goal in each of his last three games, said, “I don’t think I could score on my own; my teammates helped a lot. I also want to contribute to the team, and that mindset is crucial to maintaining the team’s performance.”
Tampines head coach Noh Rahman said of the young striker, “He has been growing into the team. He’s young and has a lot of potential. This is a good stage for him to show his talent, and he’s done well so far.”
As the hosts sat back, absorbing the Steelers’ pressure and poised to pounce on the break, it looked set to be another improbable giant-slaying act by the Stags, following their 2-1 upset of Thailand’s BG Pathum earlier this month.
And throughout 95 minutes, the Singaporean side matched the five-time K League champions’ intensity despite seeing just a quarter of the ball, as they saw out a famous 1-0 win with some resolute defending.
“If you want to be in the round of 16, these are the kind of games that test our character, and I think the boys did just that tonight with some resilient defending,” Noh said. “But we stuck together and most importantly, we fought together as a team.”
Rocks at the back
He also lauded defensive stalwart Dylan Fox’s contributions, with the Australian defender perfectly positioned to clear An Jae-jun’s passing shot off the goal line in the 30th minute, helping his side keep a clean sheet.
“Fox and Shuya (Yamashita) are crucial for us at the back. (Fox) brings more strength in the backline, especially against Pohang, who has a lot of aerial threats, so he was really important today for us,” the former national defender said.
Despite the Korean powerhouses — three-time Asian club champions — racking up 20 shots, including eight on target, the Stags held firm.
“Before the game, I mentioned one thing about playing such opposition,” said Noh. “We would go through a period where we suffer. We need to suffer together, and enjoy and embrace that.”
And the Stags did just that, standing up to every attempt by the visitors and even carving out several chances on the counter through fleet-footed winger Trent Buhagiar and substitute Taufik Suparno late in the game.
Meanwhile, Park cut a frustrated figure at the post-match press conference.
“We predicted they would drop their line (after scoring), but we couldn’t break them down.”
“Tampines have good players and they played well, but I think it was a case of us making more mistakes.”
Scoring struggles
Their inability to find the net at Bishan Stadium also highlighted the absence of K League joint-top scorer Lee Ho Jae (15 goals), as Pohang focused their resources on securing a spot in the championship round of the domestic league.
“Initially, we planned for this competition to give our younger players more game time,” Park said. “But now, we have to reassess the situation, because our goal is to reach the next stage of the competition.”
The victory means Tampines maintain their perfect start to the ACL2 and are top with nine points, while Pohang are second with six. Pathum got their first win of their campaign with a 2-0 away victory over winless Kaya FC-Iloilo to go up to third (three points).
Meanwhile, Singapore’s other ACL2 representative and last season’s runner-up, Lion City Sailors were dealt their first loss as they fell to Bangkok United 1-0.
