BRISBANE'S dream of a winning start to their maiden AFC Champions League campaign has turned into a nightmare, with FC Tokyo beating an outclassed Roar 2-0 at Suncorp Stadium.

The best team in Australia over the past 18 months were dominated from the outset by a Tokyo outfit that last year was playing second division football in Japan.

Having qualified for the Champions League courtesy of winning Japan's Emperor's Cup, FC Tokyo proved they were more than worthy of a spot in Asian football's premier club competition with a magnificent display in wet conditions.

Despite their season not starting until this weekend, the newly promoted Tokyo side defied any potential rustiness to out-play and out-enthuse a Brisbane team more than three-quarters into their A-League campaign.

The nervous Roar were second best from the opening whistle.

Used to dominating possession, the hosts were given a lesson in their own style of play by the technically superior visitors, who came to Brisbane without arguably their two best players, regular skipper Yohei Kajiyama and Brazilian striker Lucas.

There were warning sides early when FC Tokyo had two chances in the opening 15 minutes.

Watanabe Kazuma and Yazawa Tatsuya both forced saves out of Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos.

In the slippery conditions, Theoklitos made a mess in attempting to save the Yazawa strike and was relieved to see the ball slide by the post.

Despite being dominated, Brisbane continued to try to play their football, with German import Thomas Broich looking the Roar player most likely to cause some damage.

However, in first-half stoppage time, the Tokyo team took a deserved lead through stocky attacker Yazawa.

Taking full advantage of an unfortunate ricochet off Erik Paartalu, overlapping fullback Tokunaga Yuhei delivered a dangerous low cross that evaded a stretched Roar defence.

Yazawa slammed the ball home from the close range, much to the disappointment of the majority of the 12,037-strong crowd.

Hopes for a second-half Roar revival were snuffed out in the 55th minute when the visitors doubled their lead through Hasegawa Ariajasuru.

The attacking midfielder pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area after Theoklitos parried a shot from Hanyu Naotake, who had sprung the offside trap.

Roar coach Ange Postecoglou was quick to make changes, with substitutes Kofi Danning, Luke Brattan and James Meyer all entering the fray in the final 35 minutes.

But it wasn't enough, with Brisbane flat in attack and obviously missing Mitch Nichols, who was sidelined with a groin injury.

The Roar's next Champions League clash is on March 20 in China against Beijing Guoan.

Originally published as Roar's dream turns to nightmare