Devante Clut double high-fives a teammate after scoring one
of his two goals in the Brisbane Roar's 3-0 friendly victory over Villareal.
Brisbane Roar wunderkind Devante Clut has scored twice as
the A-League club scored a 3-0 upset win over Spanish outfit Villarreal in
Wednesday night's LFP World Challenge clash.
With incoming coach John Aloisi watching on from the stands,
Clut opened the scoring with a now-trademark thunderbolt from distance five
minutes before half-time, then finished off an excellent team move in the 71st
minute to complete his brace.
The 19-year-old was immediately substituted after his second
goal and received a warm round of applause from the crowd of 8,978 who braved a
chilly night at Suncorp Stadium to watch a surprisingly one-sided contest.
Clut's performances in the A-League and AFC Champions League
were one of the few highlights from a disappointing season for the Roar, and
the talented playmaker appears poised for a breakout campaign.
It is folly to draw too many conclusions from post-season
friendlies - particularly with the touring La Liga outfit, who spent the days
leading up to the match revelling on the Gold Coast, so openly in holiday mode.
But judging by their display Brisbane's players are
thirsting for a fresh start under Aloisi and could yet prove correct caretaker
Frans Thijssen's contention that they should be considered a genuine A-League
title threat.
The Roar completely dominated proceedings in Thijssen's
final match in charge, taking a 2-0 lead into the break after Jean Carlos
Solorzano backed up Clut's opening strike by poking home a ball from Thomas
Broich.
Villarreal, who finished sixth in La Liga to qualify for the
UEFA Europa League next season, should have equalised in the second half but
spurned two excellent chances.
The second was illustrative of the evening's jovial tone -
striker Luciano Vietto tried to chip Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young with a penalty
kick, which was awarded in the 69th minute for Jack Hingert's infringement on
the Argentine striker.
But the touch on his attempted Panenka was too heavy, and
the ball floated harmlessly over the crossbar.
Just minutes earlier, substitute Gerard misfired an equally
easy opportunity on goal - and they were made to pay by Clut, who may yet find
himself plying his trade a long way from Brisbane if he keeps on the same
course.
The only sour point of the night for the Roar was Luke
DeVere, who felt a twinge in his troublesome quad just eight minutes in and was
taken off as a precaution.
0 comments:
Post a Comment