JDT hitman Da Silva stuns Ulsan with ‘new bullet’

Shoot to kill: Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Bergson Da Silva firing home the winning goal against Ulsan Hyundai in their AFC Champions League Group I match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium. — Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim striker Bergson Da Silva was like a magnet to the Ulsan Hyundai defenders in their AFC Champions League Group I match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Monday.

Each time the Brazilian had the ball, there were two, sometimes even three, markers on him.

But despite the tight marking, the 31-year-old showed he had some new tricks up his sleeve when he still found the space to fire home the winner in JDT’s 2-1 win over the K-League leaders.

Da Silva’s stunning finish in the 80th minute gave the Southern Tigers their second straight win in the group stage – a feat they have not accomplished since their debut in the prestigious competition in 2015.

Argentinian Fernando Forestieri drew first blood for JDT with a superb strike after only three minutes before Ulsan bounced back through Eom Won-sang in the 52nd minute.

But the night belonged to Da Silva, who showed his true calibre by passing a stern test against a top-quality side.

“My teammates had warned me that the Ulsan team know me and my game as I’ve played for Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Busan I-Park in the K-League before. But that was a long time ago. What you’re looking at now is the new Bergson,” he said in the post-match press conference.

A delighted Benjamin Mora then chipped in by quipping: ‘’It’s Bergson reloaded.”

Da Silva added that his mentality has changed and he wanted to show that he could also score on a bigger stage.

“Most of all, we’re eager to prove that we have what it takes to compete against the best.”

For Mora, even though JDT couldn’t get as much possession as the technically superior Ulsan, he applauded his side’s persistence in pressing their opponents.

“We pressed strongly for 25-37 minutes and ran a lot. We knew if we made them run, they would suffer. It was not an easy game plan but we pulled it off.”

He also praised substitutes Safawi Rasid and Afiq Fazail for their high work rate.

“Today, we needed players that were 100% fit to run and do the job. Safawi and Afiq really did their part when they were brought on.’’

JDT face defending J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale next at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium tomorrow.