In the end there was no fairytale ending. Not for Archie Thompson, nor for Melbourne Victory's two other departing internationals, Kiwi Kosta Barbarouses and Frenchman Matthieu Delpierre.

The Australian club crashed out of the Asian Champions League with a 2-1 defeat in Jeonju on Tuesday night, losing the tie against Jeonbuk Motors 3-2 on aggregate

There was a glimmer of hope when Besart Berisha, with a wonderful piece of instinctive finishing, reduced the two goal deficit with six minutes left, ensuring a frantic finale: had Victory notched an equaliser to snare a 2-2 draw it would have been them, not the South Koreans, who would have gone on to the last eight.

For Thompson it was ultimately a night of frustration and disappointment after he was substituted with half an hour remaining, making way for Jai Ingham, a player who had barely started primary school when Thompson was first announcing himself on the Australian soccer stage with Gippsland Falcons and Carlton in the old NSL.

It could all, however, have been so much different for he and his teammates had he taken advantage of a wonderful opportunity that fell his way early in the game.

Jason Geria made a terrific run down the right and slung over a cross which fell to the veteran forward's head. His first effort was parried out, and from the rebound he chose finesse and placement with his shot rather than brute strength and power. As a result the Jeonbuk defence scrambled back and were able to deflect the goalbound effort before it went over the line.

If Victory had taken such an early lead and clawed back the one away goal they conceded in Melbourne a week earlier, who knows what may have happened and how the K-League champions might have reacted to the pressure of chasing the game, and the tie, in front of their own fans.

But Berisha's goal and a Barbarouses effort that struck the post aside, that was as good as it got for Kevin Muscat's men.

In the end the difference between the Australian team and a representative of one of Asia's most powerful leagues came down, as it so often does, to the quality of the foreign strikers they possess.

The A-League sides' Australian players are very often a match, man for man, with their Asian neighbours. It is the ability of Japanese, South Korean and now Chinese clubs to sign quality European and South American frontmen that routinely tips the scales in their favour.

It was the same in Jeonju when two goals to Jeonbuk's Brazilian frontman Leonardo – one of three Brazilians in the Jeonbuk squad – made all the difference, the second one set up perfectly by his countryman and substitute Ricardo Lopes.

The first, Leonardo had struck from another excellent free kick, although some blame must be apportioned to Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas' positioning for a shot which flew across the area and into the far corner from an acute angle.

Leanardo, who came to Korea from Greece having spent most of his career in Europe before moving to Asia, had also done the damage in Melbourne, netting with a quality set piece in the first leg to equalise for Jeonbuk after Berisha had given the first-leg hosts an early lead.

Over the two legs it has to be said that the Koreans had the better of things, mainly due to Leonardo's wonderful dead ball skills and their second leg drive, when they put plenty of pressure on the visitors and looked, at one point during the match, sure to get a third goal.

But Victory can look back and rue their inability to put Jeonbuk away in Melbourne, when they had most of the possession and failed to capitalise on their chances, particularly in the second half.

For Muscat and his back room team an off season of rebuilding must begin now.

The losses of Delpierre and Barbarouses are significant blows. The former is one of the best defenders to have played in the A-League: cultured, elegant and technically good as well as being defensively sound. It was ironic that he played out the final minutes of his career thrown forward as a tall auxiliary attacker as Victory slung men into attack in a desperate bid to get an all important second goal.

Barbarouses, a livewire, speedy and often incisive wide man, will also take some replacing. At A-League level he is certainly highly effective, his pace and directness making him a threat against all defences in the local competition.

Gui Finkler, another foreign signing, is also gone – like Barbarouses he is joining Wellington Phoenix.

The Brazilian has been more mercurial than magnificent this season, but at his best, he provided guile, technique, skill and know how. He was an especially effective free kick taker – an attribute Leonardo showed over these two legs was hugely important.

Regaining back from injury captain Carl Valeri for a whole season will in some ways feel like a new signing, but Victory must be bold and adventurous this time around.

Muscat needs a high calibre central defender, a quality midfielder and some exciting attacking talent.

He has three foreign spots on his roster. It is up to him to go out and find the right men to make the former champions contenders again – and his board to back him by shelling out, within reason, what it takes.