The Central Coast Mariners face an uphill battle to reach the latter stages of the Asian Champions league after losing 3-1 to Kashiwa Reysol in Japan this morning.
The Mariners went one up in the eighth minute when Patrick Zwaanswijk headed-in off a corner. The lead was cancelled 13 minutes later when Leandro Domingues scored. He was the dangerman again when he set up Kenta Kano midway through the second half, and then scored his second late in the game.
The Mariners wobbles continued from the spot, when Michael McGlinchey missed a penalty in the 90th minute. That’s their fifth missed penalty in a row.
Arnold was less than impressed.
“It’s not the first time that the penalty taker was meant to
take it and someone else has taken the ball and the penalty taker
has walked away. It’s driving me insane,” Arnold said.
“Patrick (Zwaanswijk) was meant to take it but he stopped
halfway so I have to ask him the question why he didn’t go all the
way.
“It’s something that’s extremely frustrating because when you
get down to these type of tournaments goal difference is enormous
and 3-2 instead of 3-1 could be the difference between qualifying
and not qualifying.”
The Mariners have just a single point from two Group matches and meet China’s Guizhou Renhe on April 3.
