There can be few better cities to play a first ever AFC Champions League game than Tokyo. Going from Perth, situated in Western Australia far from any other major metropolis, to the capital of Japan offers plenty of contrasts and potential for metaphors.
European expats in Southeast Asia on fixed-time contracts often like to go to Australia for a visit, figuring that once they return home, it will be too far. Yet even from places such as Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, the trip to places such as Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane is still a long one. The solution that many come up with? Perth. It’s a good deal closer and offers that taste of down under in a relatively short time.
If Perth can be Asia’s gateway into Australia then the opposite can also be true. Engaging with the world’s biggest continent as much as possible should have been a priority for Glory anyway but now it is actually facing Asian teams in a series of competitive games then there can be no better time.
Perth can, and should, position themselves as Australia’s Asian club and Asia’s Australian club. It actually should have done that already. There should have been more attempts to look at Southeast Asia for talent. There could have been over a decade of Malaysian, Thais, Vietnamese, Singaporeans and Indonesians all heading to West Australia and bringing the attention in that region of around 650 million. Had the seeds been planted a decade a go, then who knows what the situation would be like today? Such things are always easier written than done but the foundations for Asian engagement could now be rock solid.
While Sydney and Melbourne are bigger and more famous cities in Asia with plenty of past appearances , neither FC nor Victory have made much impact --either on the pitch or off. The Champions League offers Perth a chance to start afresh. As well as Tokyo, there is another iconic city in Group F, home to Shanghai Shenhua.
The situation in China is obviously in flux but that also gives clubs such as Perth a chance to engage with the Chinese market. Perhaps some gesture could have been made to mark last week when the game with Shenhua was due to take place. Even something as a simple as a video message from Perth players to their Shanghai counterparts would have been appreciated as would a substitute FIFA video game tournament.
And then there is Ulsan. This South Korean city does not have the international stature of the other two but, after Seoul, it is the most affluent city in the country, due to the massive Hyundai presence there. Just making contacts can prove to be fruitful.
The first task is, however, to treat the competition with respect and to take it seriously. That has not always happened in the past, and not just in Australia. Perth however, especially with Tony Popovic in charge, should know that focus and determination can go a long way in the Champions League. Western Sydney Wanderers never really capitalised on their amazing 2014 triumph, though it was an unexpected one, but you don’t have to lift the trophy to lift your profile.
Owner Tony Sage has talked of inviting Southeast Asian teams into the A-League. The idea is interesting if tough to implement. It shows that there is at least some awareness of the possibilities to the north. And the current talk of selling the club to a cryptocurrency company is also worthy of note given that Asia is leading the way in this field.
There are plenty of opportunities then. So while the focus should be on beating FC Tokyo to go to the top of the group after just one game, Perth Glory should be working hard to ensure that this Asian opportunity is not wasted.
