Coach Mano Polking: "Hanoi Police will beat Buriram in the second leg in Thailand"

Twice leading, Hanoi Police Club still missed out on victory against Buriram

The first leg of the final between Hanoi Police Club and Buriram was very exciting. The 90 minutes at Hang Day Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw. The two teams will meet again in the second leg of the final on May 21 in Thailand.

Evaluating the match, Coach Polking said: "I think this is a good result to encourage the team's spirit towards the second leg. Today's match was very exciting, between two strong and quality teams. As a coach, I am very pleased to witness such a top-notch match.

To be honest, I think we missed a chance to take the lead today. Especially in the first half, the team pressed very well, created many chances and controlled the game. Although Buriram played better in the second half, we still had two very clear chances at the end of the match, one was cleared on the line and the other hit the post.

But whether we feel disappointed or not, the important thing is that we still have a chance in the second leg. We go to Thailand and continue to fight like today. Even though they are playing at home, the way my players performed in the first leg of the final showed that we can do it.

The goal of Hanoi Police Club is very clear: rest a bit, prepare carefully next week, take good care of ourselves and be ready for the second leg."

Regarding the fact that Hanoi Police did not have the strongest force for the first leg, Coach Polking explained: "It is true that when we started to make substitutions, we lost our passion and pressure intensity. But that is normal, especially when the players who entered the field like Alan, Leo and Van Tan all just returned from long injuries.

They couldn’t maintain the intensity throughout the game. Coming on to a game like that is not easy, it feels like each leg weighs 100kg. But after a few minutes they got back into the rhythm and we still created a few clear chances at the end.

I believe we have enough players to go to Buriram and compete for the championship. Buriram are very strong at home, and they have passionate fans who will fill the stands. The pressure is huge, but it is also an opportunity for my players, who have played for the national team, to show their character. They need to stay calm, enjoy the atmosphere and fight."

"Buriram will definitely play offensively, but the pressure from their own crowd can have the opposite effect. We need to turn that into an advantage and play another excellent game. The final is still open, and we are fully capable of winning the cup.

The Vietnamese team's victories over Thailand at the AFF Cup 2024 are certainly a great source of motivation, not only for me but also for the players and fans. I hope that Hanoi Police will continue to receive support from the fans to give the team more strength in the return match," Coach Polking concluded.

Watch the Final match between Hanoi Police and Buriram at the Shopee Cup tournament live and exclusively on FPT Play, at fptplay.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-mano-polking-cong-an-ha-noi-se-thang-buriram-o-luot-ve-tai-thai-lan-20250514225311857.htm