KUALA LUMPUR: While Malaysia's national team are far behind South Korea, Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) have beaten the best of South Korea at club level.
For 50 years, FAM are unable to lift Malaysia to continental standard, and yet JDT have emerged as a force in Asian club-level competitions.
JDT coach Hector Bidoglio praised his men after they outclassed South Korea's No.1 club, Ulsan HD 3-0, in an Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) match yesterday at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
The Southern Tigers ripped Ulsan apart with goals from Arif Aiman Hanapi (eighth minute), Oscar Arribas (67th) and Bergson Da Silva (88th).
Bidoglio said JDT did well to come out tops in the tough encounter against a team who came with a reputation as the K-League's three-time consecutive champions since 2022.
The Venezuelan coach said his players were reaping the rewards of their hard work and sacrifices.
"JDT played very well, very intensely, very dynamic, and defensively very compact. I'm very happy with my entire squad," said Bidoglio.
"JDT have a philosophy. JDT are a possession (-based) team. We like to play on the opponents' side of the pitch and our philosophy is not only to have the ball but also keep the ball. When we lose the ball, we try to recover it within five seconds.
"It's very difficult to play the way we play, but I'm very happy for the players as every game, they put in a lot of sacrifices.
"JDT are a big team, we are showing our football. I am proud of my entire squad and not just several players."
He said the JDT defensive trio — Eddy Israfilov, Park Jun Heong and Shane Lowry — were instrumental in neutralising Ulsan's attacks.
"We play aggressively and adapt our tactics as necessary, especially given the high-level ACLE competition where we can't afford any complacency.
"Our attacking options are all high-quality, and the atmosphere in the dressing room is fantastic, which really pleases me," added Bidoglio.