Australian defender Sasa Ognenovski achieved more last year than many players achieve in a lifetime.
The 31-year-old, who plays his club football for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in South Korea's K-League, not only captained the side to victory in the Asian Champions League, he was also voted the most valuable player of the tournament.
He was then crowned Asian Footballer of the Year and selected into the K-League Best XI and finally received a call up into the Australian squad.
But on Saturday he said he would be very happy to trade it all in.
Speaking after he had just been a part of the Australian team that lost the final of the Asian Cup in extra time 1-0 to Japan, Ognenovski said that even though he had achieved so much last year, he had missed out on what he really wanted.
"I would trade it all to have a winners medal from the Asian Cup, but unfortunately, we did not manage to achieve the victory," he said.
Australia created several chances throughout the game but failed to convert them.
"Sometimes the ball does not want to cross the line. This was one of those days," Ognenovski said.
"They probably had two chances and scored one. We had a few more and could not score. They scored the goal at a crucial time, and we did not have enough time to get it back."
Substitute Tadanari Lee, who came on eight minutes into extra time for only the second time at this tournament, scored the winner with a beautiful volley 11 minutes later, after Yuto Nagatomo found the unmarked Sanfrecce Hiroschima striker in the area.
"I simply do not know what happened for the goal. It was probably just a lapse of concentration that cost us the goal," Ognenovski said. "But that was not only what cost us the game. We did have enough chances to score a goal, at least."
Ognenovski was complimentary about Lee's goal: "He hit it sweet, he could not have hit it better."
He said that he was certain that Australian fans were supportive of the team: "I am sure they are very proud of our performance."
The 31-year-old, who plays his club football for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in South Korea's K-League, not only captained the side to victory in the Asian Champions League, he was also voted the most valuable player of the tournament.
He was then crowned Asian Footballer of the Year and selected into the K-League Best XI and finally received a call up into the Australian squad.
But on Saturday he said he would be very happy to trade it all in.
Speaking after he had just been a part of the Australian team that lost the final of the Asian Cup in extra time 1-0 to Japan, Ognenovski said that even though he had achieved so much last year, he had missed out on what he really wanted.
"I would trade it all to have a winners medal from the Asian Cup, but unfortunately, we did not manage to achieve the victory," he said.
Australia created several chances throughout the game but failed to convert them.
"Sometimes the ball does not want to cross the line. This was one of those days," Ognenovski said.
"They probably had two chances and scored one. We had a few more and could not score. They scored the goal at a crucial time, and we did not have enough time to get it back."
Substitute Tadanari Lee, who came on eight minutes into extra time for only the second time at this tournament, scored the winner with a beautiful volley 11 minutes later, after Yuto Nagatomo found the unmarked Sanfrecce Hiroschima striker in the area.
"I simply do not know what happened for the goal. It was probably just a lapse of concentration that cost us the goal," Ognenovski said. "But that was not only what cost us the game. We did have enough chances to score a goal, at least."
Ognenovski was complimentary about Lee's goal: "He hit it sweet, he could not have hit it better."
He said that he was certain that Australian fans were supportive of the team: "I am sure they are very proud of our performance."
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