The Southeast Asian Cup C1 Championship is still open to Hanoi Police Club

K IMPRESSIVE START

Buriram United is arguably the strongest and most complete team in Southeast Asia right now. They just won the Thai League with 70 points and 92 goals after 30 matches, and are also the Southeast Asian team that has gone the furthest in the AFC Champions League Elite, reaching the quarter-finals this season (only to lose to Al Ahli-Saudi, who later won the championship).

Hanoi Police Club (middle) played with great effort against Buriram

Photo: MINH TU

However, the powerful representative from Thailand did not make the Hanoi Police Club waver. Coach Alexandre Polking's students were ready to play an open game, control the game, deploy the ball from home and exploit the space on the opponent's side like a favorite team. It was the home team's quick, neat and coordinated passing that made the Buriram players confused, as evidenced by Leo Artur's opening goal in the 18th minute.

It was a perfect combination: Alan Grafite touched the ball delicately for Quang Hai to break down the right wing, before Hai released the ball for Vitao to run up. The midfielder wearing the number 8 shirt crossed for Artur to tap in close to the goal. Just 3 passes and clever runs were enough for CAHN FC to tear apart the Buriram net.

Highlight CAHN Club 2-2 Buriram United Club: The home team was held to a regrettable draw

An exciting match

Photo: Minh Tu

Despite being equalized by Buriram later, CAHN Club did not lose its rhythm. The home players controlled the ball well, leisurely passing the ball to lure the opponent to press high. When the "prey" fell into the trap, the gap opened up again. Defender Sasalak's mistake in guessing the landing point allowed Brazilian striker Alan Grafite to comfortably curl the ball into Buriram's net. There was a noteworthy detail: 6 CAHN Club players rushed into the penalty area to put pressure on 7 Buriram players. Coach Polking's students were willing to risk going high to find a goal. CAHN Club's mindset was to play a "gamble" to overcome a stronger opponent, using attack as a foundation for defense. Coach Polking's calculation worked.

OPEN ENDING

CAHN Club's style of play was no different from previous matches at the ASEAN Club Championship: rushing forward to find an advantage, then playing slowly to maintain the rhythm of the game. Facing a strong opponent like Buriram and with the second leg of the final still ahead, it was understandable that in the second half, CAHN Club focused on keeping the defense tight and waiting for a counterattack opportunity. The home team's defense was under great pressure, but on the day goalkeeper Nguyen Filip shone, Buriram's scoring opportunities were minimized.

Quang Hai and Hanoi Police Club still have a chance

Filip Nguyen played well when he dived to block Supachai Jaided's tight-angle shot in the 48th minute, then flew to block Lucas Crispim's dangerous long-range shot, before closing the angle to block Curtis Good's header. Along with the 1992-born goalkeeper, the entire CAHN defenders and midfielders stuck to the ball with great effort, fought fiercely and threw themselves into the save. However, the home team could not preserve the victory. In the 78th minute, Guilherme Bissoli's dangerous long-range shot was beyond Filip Nguyen's control. Peter Zulj jumped in to head the rebound, sealing the 2-2 draw.

CAHN and Buriram will play the second leg of the final at Chang Arena on May 21. The match in Thailand will be very difficult, but with what has been done, we can believe that Coach Polking and his team are strong enough to overcome and win the Southeast Asian Cup C1.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cua-vo-dich-cup-c1-dong-nam-a-van-con-voi-clb-cong-an-ha-noi-185250514225540828.htm