YONGIN, South Korea -- Ahead of Tuesday's clash with Gwangju FC, Johor Darul Ta'zim coach Héctor Bidoglio stated their desire to be "the protagonists".
That, despite all the headlines Gwangju had garnered following their stunning start in their debut continental campaign and the new-age football they were playing under a highly-rated manager only in his third year, JDT could make it about them.
And for good reason too, considering they were the second-placed team behind Gwangju in the East Zone of the AFC Champions League Elite before this week's round of fixtures.
Before they had even got started, it looked certain that the story wasn't going to be about them on this night -- as it eventually proved to the case, on a receiving end of a 3-1 defeat.
With less than six minutes on the clock, the hosts had remarkably found themselves leading by two goals.
And it should perhaps come as no surprise that it was Jasir Asani who emerged the headline act.
The Albania international already had four goals to his name in the campaign after following up a fine hat-trick in a 7-3 rout of Yokohama F. Marinos with a match-winning penalty against Kawasaki Frontale.
His trademark jinking runs down the right before cutting onto his left foot have fast become a familiar sight -- one that opposition analysts would have zoomed in on.
Still, stopping it is a completely different proposition from just identifying it.
As he was left with just too much space and time in the third minute after Gwangju neatly worked possession from left to right, it was with this same move that saw Asani shift the ball onto his preferred foot before curling a superb effort just beyond the despairing fingertips of Andoni Zubiaurre.
Asani has been doing just fine scoring goals on his own. The last thing JDT needed was to gift him a second on the evening just three minutes later.
Feroz Baharudin, presented a rare start as he came in for Shane Lowry, did not exactly dally in possession. He just took a split second more than he should have -- enough for Asani to nip in and send himself racing through on goal, where he again made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Two goals down with barely any time on the clock, it at least meant that JDT would certainly be the story of the evening if they were to pull off a comeback.
Feroz made amends two minutes before the half-hour mark when he was somehow left completely unmarked inside the six-yard box to send a thumping header past Kim Kyeong-Min.
With the deficit now far-more manageable -- and having given an excellent account of themselves apart from the opening six minutes -- JDT came out for the second half with an air of determination.
And it started to looking like they could indeed be the protagonists.
Their increasing forward forays, while repelled by a stubborn Gwangju defence, led to the hosts booting the ball up the field and straight back to the opposition.
Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo was livid on the touchline and unleashed a verbal barrage usually seen directed by coaches at match officials, rather than their own players.
They were veering away from 'the Gwangju style'. And JDT were a factor behind that.
Yet, just as it was in the opening six minutes, there was a third act to come from Gwangju's leading man with just two minutes remaining.
Once more jinking down the left and again cutting back onto his left foot, Asani would hang an inviting ball to the back post -- where Heo Yool's attempt to steer it goalwards would ultimately result in JDT defender Park Jun-Heong diverting the ball past his own goalkeeper.
JDT certainly were not just the supporting cast. They might even have played a significant role.
Unfortunately for them, it was just not enough to upstage Gwangju and -- their star of the show -- Asani.