Kichi SC and Dejan Damjanovic made headlines as they returned to the AFC Champions League on Thursday, but Thailand's Port FC also had a lot to learn in their 2-0 defeat despite dominating possession and opportunities.
Roberto scored for Hong Kong in the 37th minute before former FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung Bluewings forward Damjanovic sealed the win. Damjanovic tied former Republic of Korea international Lee Dong-guk as the tournament's top scorer with 37 goals.
Ports Champions League start hit by lack of attack
The port has become a force in Thailand in recent years after finishing in the top three in each of the previous seasons – courtesy of some significant investments from entrepreneur Nualfan Lamsam since taking over from the Port Authority of Thailand in 2015 .
The Lions won the Thai FA Cup in 2019 and have moved closer to the challenge for the league title in the past few domestic seasons. His debut in the AFC Champions League is another step in the right direction, but it will require another gear.
As they learned the hard way in Thursday's rain at the Buriram Stadium, they cannot afford to pass up opportunities at such a high level. Despite an incredible 73% possession and 15 shots (compared to Kitchi's six), the closest port for scoring came when he hit the woodwork not once, but twice.
Coach Saravut Tryfan, however, would still take a positive from the loss, especially with debutants John Baggio and Philip Roller both impressed going forward. They will also have familiar surroundings to count as they play a little more than five hours away from their base in Bangkok.
Port, Kitchi may scrap for another as Cerezo uncovers Guangzhou
The Hong Kong Premier League champions may have won the match, but Saravut's team could still try to advance in the knockouts. Cerezo Osaka's 2–0 loss to Guangzhou FC in the second match meant the group was open.
The Chinese Super League giants sent their U-23 team of five 16-year-olds to Thailand as a result of travel restrictions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fabio Cannavaro has also withdrawn his 35-year-old assistant Liu Zhiyu, deputing him to lead the group.
Hiroaki Okuno and Tiago Pagnussat both found themselves in the back of the net with headers for the victorious J1 League side in the opening kickoff. The Guangzhou youth faced 22 attempts for their goal from Cerezhou, while only two put themselves on target.
Kitchi may have taken points from Port in the opening exchange, but with five games to go, his fate is far from being decided.
Thai debutants have the time and resources to turn things around in the pool. If they can negate Thursday's lulls from their game, they can overtake Kichi and secure knockout football in what could still be an admirable start to the Thais' ACL campaign.