CARSON, Calif. -- Suwon Samsung Bluewings FC coach Cha Bum-Kun was unhappy with his team's first half in Wednesday's opening game of the Pan-Pacific Championship at The Home Depot Center. The Korean club's manager didn't have to look far to find the solution for his team's struggles.
Brazilian forward Eduardo De Oliveira put on an impressive second-half performance in the Bluewings' 1-0 victory over Chinese club Shandong Luneng Taishan FC with at least three near-misses. De Oliveira, in fact, came close just two minutes in with a free kick, and he came even closer only two minutes later with a half-volley one-timer from deep inside the penalty area that was deflected just wide of the net.
The more he touched the ball, it seemed, more dangerous the Bluewings became. De Oliveira said that not only was by design but to his liking.
"I'm the type of guy who likes to touch the ball and be in contact with the ball," he said through an interpreter. "I didn't have a lot of touches in the first half, but my teammates started to get me the ball more.
"When I get more chances, we tend to play better."
Bum-Kun said his intent was to have his players force the ball more into the middle of the field in the second half, and that strategy played to De Oliveira's strengths. He perhaps made the play of the night in the 89th minute with an impressive back-heel pass to Park Hyun-Bem, whose 20-yard shot was turned away only by a brilliant save from Shandong Luneng goalkeeper Li Leilei.
Cho Yong-Tae scored the game-winner in the 81st minute, sending a soft rolling shot into an empty net after Li missed a clearance attempt.
"If we keep playing like we did in the second half," De Oliveira said, "we'll be ready for the (Asian) Champions League. I think we're going to have a good roll."
De Oliveira's play made things even more difficult for the Chinese team and coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic, who has seen his team ravaged by injuries and had been winless in three preseason scrimmages against MLS team. The Chinese team had been outscored 15-1 in those matches.
Shandong Luneng were also missing at least three starters on Wednesday because of injuries.
"It's taken some time for our team to come together," Tumbakovic said. "We have so many new players ... it's been quite a strain on our team."
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