KUALA LUMPUR: It's not the end of the world as far as Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) coach Hector Bidoglio is concerned after their proud 24-match unbeaten run came to an end with the 3-1 loss to South Korea's Gwangju FC in the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) yesterday.
Gwangju's Albania international Jasir Asani scored a brace (in the third and sixth minutes) and JDT's South Korean defender Park Jun Heong scored an own goal in the 88th minute in a rain-soaked match at the Yongin Mireu Stadium.
Defender Feroz Baharudin netted a consolation goal for the Southern Tigers in the 28th minute while redeeming his mistake which resulted in Gwangju's second goal.
Prior to the Gwangju match, JDT's last defeat was 5-0 to Japan's Kawasaki Frontale in an ACL fixture at the Todoroki Stadium on Nov 28 last year.
Bidoglio said the two early goals by Asani disrupted the Southern Tigers' plans.
The Venezeulean, who feels that setbacks are sometimes inevitable, said: "We tried to fight back with Feroz's goal and controlled the game, but Park's own goal sealed the result, leaving us with little chance to push for at least a draw. However, I'm not blaming any player, luck just wasn't on our side.
"It was a difficult match, but I am pleased with my players' performance. Our opponents were able to launch attacks easily, but we didn't lose our composure.
"Both teams were evenly matched in the first half. They scored early but then didn't pose much of a threat for the rest of the game."
The Southern Tigers will aim to bounce back in their next ACLE match, when they host another Korean side, Ulsan HD, at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Nov 5.