Sepahan 3 Waitakere United 1
KEY POINTS:
For a team full of amateurs, it was appropriate that Waitakere United's foray at the Club World Cup came undone because of three amateurish errors.
Waitakere went down to Iranian side Sepahan early yesterday, conceding three sloppy goals. They were 2-0 down inside four minutes and a rout looked likely but they battled back only for a shot slip through Simon Eaddy's mitts and into the net.
Although Waitakere dominated the final 20 minutes, and scored a consolation credited to Darren Bazeley, it was too little, too late.
"This defeat really hurts," Waitakere captain Danny Hay said. "At this level, you can't afford to make mistakes like that. We started off by showing them too much respect. In the second half, we caused them a few problems but it was already too late by then. We lost because of three stupid mistakes and that's obviously a real disappointment."
Sepahan have qualified for the tournament proper and will meet Asian champions Urawa Reds. The winner meet European champions AC Milan in the semifinals.
For their troubles, Waitakere picked up US$500,000 (NZ$641,000) for New Zealand and Oceania football, with the players and club retaining a large chunk of that.
The money, though, was far from coach Chris Milicich's mind - he was still thinking about his side's shocking start.
"I'm not sure what has caused us to start so poorly but we simply let ourselves down through poor concentration and maybe a few nerves," he said. "Perhaps there was a case for us being too relaxed before the match but there was no indication of what was to come.
"Those mistakes are all the more disappointing when you see how we can play in the second half - at times we were battering them with no reward.
"A second goal with a few minutes left would have made it very interesting. The result is a bitter pill and our defending at those key moments was poor but the second half rally showed we and Oceania deserve to be on this stage."
Sepahan controlled large portions of the match, particularly in the first half, and had 66 per cent of the ball. They were faster and technically adept and looked to be cruising.
Waitakere's attacks were largely restricted to set pieces and crosses into the box but striker Benjamin Totori caused the Iranian defence some problems at times. In the final 20 minutes, Waitakere grew in confidence and Sepahan found their direct style and physical presence difficult to contain.
Sepahan coach Luka Bonacic said his side was rarely troubled and was already looking forward to a rematch against Urawa Reds, who beat them for the Asian title.
"We are the professional side and they are not, so it was comfortable for us. I am glad for the opportunity to face Urawa Reds again," Bonacic said.
Milicich hoped New Zealand Football could provide avenues for domestic sides to be exposed to higher forms of the game.
