Kiwi Messi scoring 2 to beat Victory certainly helps.
2 horse race between us and CCM for 1st. And they're gonna have a bunch of Asian Cup games
2 horse race between us and CCM for 1st. And they're gonna have a bunch of Asian Cup games
Mariners have at least two more AFC Cup games. H&A against Roy Krishana's Odisha. Home tie this week 7th March, and then away tie India 14th March. You'd think an ALM team should be too strong for an ISL team.
If CCM get past Odisha then next is a two legged tie against the winner of Abdysh-Ata Kant (Krygyzstan) verus Taichung Futuro (Taiwan). Dates 17th & 24th April. Would be a long haul to Krygyzstan.
Win that and it's the AFC Cup final against either an Oman team or a Lebanon team. And looks like either of the latter two West Asian teams will host the final.
So yes lets hope the Mariners get all the way to the AFC Cup final, with all that travelling. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_AFC_Cup
Rufer said post game the Nix didn't play well today, and the travel back from Perth may have been a factor. Ain't nothing compare to what potentially awaits CCM.
Imagine having a league title charge potentially derailed because of a four-day-round-trip to Kyrgyzstan right at the pointy end of a season...
Good on the Mariners though, they're easily my second favourite team in the league - Way they play the game, how they operate as a club, and the success they've had doing it their own way. I hope they go deep in this AFC Cup (but only if that distracts them from a league title charge on the domestic front).