SINGAPORE -- While two Southeast Asian hopefuls marched onto the AFC Champions League Elite knockout round earlier this week, only one remains in the second-tier AFC Champions League Two.
That team is Singapore's Lion City Sailors -- through to the quarterfinals in style after Thursday's 4-0 victory over Muangthong United at Jalan Besar Stadium sealed an impressive 7-2 aggregate triumph.
In a sign of things to come, as they would eventually make their way in behind the Muangthong defence on countless occasions, there were only 15 seconds on the clock when Shawal Anuar ghosted in around the back and was scythed down by opposition goalkeeper Kittipong Phuthawchueak to win his side an opening-minute penalty.
With the spot-kick coolly converted by Maxime Lestienne, the hosts would then strike again right at the end of the first half as Shawal broke free down the left and unselfishly played the ball past Kittipong to leave Bart Ramselaar with a simple finish at the far post from a couple of yards out.
Shawal, who was at the heart of everything the Sailors were creating in the attacking third, would get his reward in the 63rd minute when he raced onto a visionary over-the-top ball by Hariss Harun to lob Kittipong, before adding his team's fourth two minutes from time on the rebound after Lennart Thy's low drive had been parried into his path.
The swashbuckling football the Sailors produced was hardly a surprise given their previous displays in the tournament, as they refused to be overawed by some quality opposition on the continental stage.
They have however made a habit relinquishing healthy leads, just as they did a week ago when they allowed Muangthong back into the contest through two second-half goals having initially claimed a remarkable 3-0 lead away from home inside 27 minutes.
Previously in the group stage, they also twice let a two-goal advantange slip in defeats to Persib Bandung and Zhejiang Professional.
The fact that this wasn't the case on Thursday -- with the Sailors keeping only their second clean sheet of the campaign -- was particularly pleasing to coach Aleksandar Ranković.
"I think if you see, over the two matches, we are the ones that deserved to go through," said Ranković in his post-match news conference.
"We started the match amazing but this isn't the first time. We're always training for this kind of situations and we have players who can 'provoke' this kind of goals.
"To score seven goals in two games, the way we played and scored today, I think only one team has scored more than our 22 goals in this campaign. It's actually pretty amazing."
The reward for the Sailors? A tantalising quarterfinal clash with Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a team that Ranković -- who has never shied away from challenging his players to rise to a challenge -- is looking forward to locking horns with.
"For the players and for me, this is the most beautiful game to play," he added.
"You get to play against opponents that are possibly the favourites to win the Champions League [Two]. You get to play in a great stadium with a huge crowd. This is why we do it.
"So you can challenge yourself against the best. We've already shown we can play [against] anybody.
"We'll go there with our heads held high and try to give our best performance."