Eliminated from the Asian Cup

Captain Nguyen Manh suffered a last-minute injury.

In the first leg (February 12th), Nam Dinh FC played with great effort, but the difference in experience and class led to a 0-3 defeat for Coach Vu Hong Viet's team. In fact, if they had been more precise in the final minutes, the margin of victory for Sanfrecce Hiroshima could have been even larger. Despite their high determination, based on their performance, experts predict that Nam Dinh FC will find it difficult to spring a surprise in the second leg.

Entering the rematch at the Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima Stadium (Japan), Nam Dinh FC not only faced the disadvantage of playing in cold weather but also lost To Van Vu due to a torn knee ligament injury. Furthermore, just before the match, captain Nguyen Manh suffered a finger problem and was unable to play. The only hope the Vietnamese team could rely on was that coach Vu Hong Viet still fielded a lineup with eight foreign players, the same as in the first leg.

Nguyen Manh suffered a finger injury and was unable to play; he was replaced by goalkeeper Liem Dieu.

Nam Dinh FC (in white shirts) continues to field up to 8 foreign players.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima played comfortably, while Nam Dinh FC struggled.

With the home advantage, Sanfrecce Hiroshima proactively controlled the game right from the opening whistle. The Japanese team held possession for over 70% and launched diverse attacks on both flanks. However, before finding a way to score against Nam Dinh FC, the home fans had a scare. In the 5th minute, Nam Dinh FC was awarded a throw-in on the left wing. The foreign player, China, received the ball and made a powerful run straight into Sanfrecce Hiroshima's penalty area. Unfortunately, despite having plenty of space in front of him, the number 20 player of Nam Dinh FC shot wide.

After a slow start, Sanfrecce Hiroshima increased the tempo of their attack from the 8th minute onwards. They didn't have to wait long to find the opening goal. In the 10th minute, captain Sasaki Sho made a clever run and tapped the ball in from close range, giving Sanfrecce Hiroshima a 1-0 lead.

China (20) almost helped Nam Dinh Club score against Sanfrecce Hiroshima Club

Having scored an early goal, Sanfrecce Hiroshima continued to push forward in attack. The home team played at a relaxed pace, making many short passes to stretch Nam Dinh's defense. In the remaining time of the first half, Sanfrecce Hiroshima's strikers had eight more shots towards Nam Dinh's goal. However, all the shots missed the target, and Sanfrecce Hiroshima were unable to score a second goal.

Meanwhile, Nam Dinh FC also attacked diligently in the first half. Hendrio was the standout player for the Nam Dinh team, earning a 6.5 rating from Sofascore . The number 10 player played a creative role, frequently dropping deep to receive the ball and create opportunities for his teammates. Unfortunately, the connection between him and his teammates was poor, preventing Nam Dinh FC from creating any further scoring chances.

Hendrio played hard but couldn't make a difference.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima exerted suffocating pressure in the second half.

In the second half, Sanfrecce Hiroshima exerted even greater pressure on Nam Dinh's goal. Similar to the first half, the Japanese team attacked effectively down both flanks, forcing Nam Dinh's defense to work hard to fend them off.

After much pressure, in the 54th minute, Nakamura received the ball in an open position and comfortably unleashed a low shot, increasing the score to 2-0 for Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Not stopping there, in the 66th minute, center-back Shuto Nakano rose high to head the ball in, making the score 3-0 for Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Nam Dinh FC struggled to defend against the home team's attacks in the second half.

With nothing left to lose, Nam Dinh FC pushed their attacking line forward. Compared to the first half, the Vietnamese team played better and had 8 more shots (2 on target). However, coach Vu Hong Viet's team lacked accuracy in the final touches, causing opportunities to be wasted.

On the other side of the pitch, Sanfrecce Hiroshima played slowly, conceding possession to Nam Dinh FC. However, whenever the home team attacked, they always put Liem Dieu's goal under threat. In the 90+1 minute, Nakamura completed his brace, sealing a 4-0 victory for Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Nam Dinh FC bids farewell to the tournament with a heavy defeat in Japan.

Losing 0-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the second leg, Coach Vu Hong Viet's team bid farewell to the AFC Champions League 2 with a 0-7 aggregate defeat over two legs. Meanwhile, Sanfrecce Hiroshima advanced to the quarterfinals, where their opponent will be the winner of the match between Muangthong United (Thailand) and Lion City Sailors FC (Singapore).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mat-doi-truong-phut-chot-clb-nam-dinh-thua-dam-hiroshima-bi-loai-khoi-cup-chau-a-185250219165053491.htm