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Osaka, Japan. Cerezo Osaka supporters who expected their side to trounce Arema Indonesia in the first round of the 2011 Asian Champions League were in for a big surprise.

In front of a crowd of over 10,000 at a cold and wet Nagai Stadium, the Indonesian side put up a good fight, finishing with a respectable defeat — and a few regrets — given how the game unfolded.

From the game’s opening, Arema players were organized and impressive for their tactical discipline.

Arema’s strong start derailed in the 14th minute, however, as a ball lost by Uruguayan midfielder Esteban Guillen unleashed a quick Cerezo counterattack, finished off by a header from Brazilian Rodrigo Pimpao to give the home side the lead.

Arema, however, did not lose composure and continued to control the midfield through possession, frustrating Cerezo and creating a good chance for an equalizer. Yet after 45 minutes the score was still locked at 1-0 to the Japanese team.

Most expected Cerezo to come out aggressively in the second half, especially after its crosstown rivals Gamba Osaka annihilated Melbourne Victory 5-1 in their opener the day before.

But after a chance wasted by Arema’s Slovakian midfielder Roman Chmelo, Iranian referee Mohsen Torki granted the Indonesians a penalty kick for what he saw as a handball by defender Taikai Uemoto.

Singaporean Noh Alam Shah kept his cool, perfectly placing his penalty kick to give Arema a deserved equalizer and sending the few Indonesian supporters present crazy.

Perhaps recalling Arema’s domination of the first half, Japanese players and fans became visibly nervous, but Cerezo was not able to find the goal.

The key-moment of the game came around the 30th minute of the second half, when Ahmad Bustomi made a dangerous slide tackle on Yusuke Maruhashi that earned the Arema player a yellow card and the Osaka side a free kick. Pimpao was quick to act on the ball sent in by Masaki Chugo, and his flick found the net, giving the Japanese side a crucial goal.

While the game finished up 2-1 to the hosts, Arema left a good impression on the Japanese crowd. Physically, Arema kept pace with Cerezo, and not once did its players appear overwhelmed.

Tactically too, the Indonesians showed an unexpected maturity. They moved the ball around masterly, frustrating the home side for long parts of the game.

It will be interesting to see how Arema progresses, now that it has been exposed to a wider continental audience. Sure enough, Cerezo players know their trip to East Java’s Kanjuruhan Stadium in April will be no holiday.