Brisbane to Seoul, Seoul to Busan, Busan to Ulsan.
Brisbane to Seoul, Seoul to Busan, Busan to Ulsan.
You-d think the Brisbane Roar players would be getting tired of their hectic travel schedule imposed on them by AFC Champions League commitments but midfielder, and Saturday night-s second goal-scorer, Erik Paartalu said the team is savouring every moment.
The 19-man Roar squad, alongside coaching staff and club officials, departed Brisbane International Airport just 14 hours after finishing the first leg of the major semi-final against Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium with a 2-0 victory.
A short layover awaited them after flying directly to South Korean capital Seoul before an even quicker flight south to Busan and a 90 minute bus ride to Ulsan, the home of Wednesday night-s opponents Ulsan Hyundai, completed the journey.
Having travelled to Beijing just two weeks ago for their last AFC Champions League appearance, Paartalu said the players were quick to revert to their travel routine.
“I think it-s fresh in our minds, the attitude that we came with last time and what helped us recovery-wise and getting ready for the game mentally,” he said.
“Having that extra day will definitely help us even more and we enjoy this challenge of playing three games in a week.”
Different to their maiden voyage to China in mid-March, the Brisbane squad will spend one more day in Asia to maximise recovery time before flying back to Australia, straight to Sydney and up to Gosford for the second leg of their Hyundai A-League semi-final.
Paartalu was confident the his teammates could continue their good run of form against their South Korean opponents and stressed the importance of taking momentum into the Gosford fixture as well.
“Travelling after a good result is always helpful,” he said.
“There-s nothing worse than getting on a plane after a loss and all the boys are down but everyone is upbeat and really looking forward to the game on Wednesday night.
“We know we-ve got a big job ahead of us on the weekend and if we can get three good results this week, this is probably the week of our season.”
The Roar players will train twice in Ulsan, including one session at the club-s home ground Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, before Wednesday night-s match day three encounter.
