Less than 48 hours after winning the A-League grand final,a heavily-depleted Sydney FC side were smacked 4-0 by Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League.
Two days after winning the A-League's ultimate prize,Sydney FC will be back in action in a meaningless AFC Champions League match at Kogarah.
Melbourne Victory's 4-0 drubbing in Daegu looks bad but it will have no impact on their A-league semi,having rested key players.
The Sky Blues were beaten 1-0 away by South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai on Tuesday night to remain winless with one match left in the group stage.
Sydney FC veteran Alex Wilkinson won't feature in Tuesday night's AFC Champions League clash,opening the door for young defender Jacob Tratt.
Melbourne Victory cannot make the knockout phase of the Asian Champions League so coach Kevin Muscat is likely to prioritise the A-League semi against Sydney.
While most teams complain about the fatigue of travelling within Asia,the long journey has brought Sydney FC's squad closer together.
Melbourne Victory boss Kevin Muscat has challenged his star players to match the workrate of the kids and fringe men who did so well against Guangzhou in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Sydney FC's AFC Champions League hopes are still alive - but only just - after a pulsating 2-2 draw with Shanghai SIPG on Tuesday night.
Sydney FC coach Steve Corica is likely to rest key players for their A-League dead rubber this weekend as they prepare for a must-win game in China.
Goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas will get a chance to reclaim his first team spot when he lines up against Guangzhou Evergrande in the Asian Champions League.