A CHALLENGE FOR CAHN CLUB
The match against Macarthur FC (Australia) at 7:15 PM today (October 23rd) is a major challenge for Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) in the AFC Champions League 2. Unlike the opponents coach Alexandre Polking's team has faced before, Macarthur is a truly physically strong team. Founded in 2018, Macarthur is not a big name in Australia like Adelaide United or Melbourne Victory, but the young team impressed by winning the Australian Cup to qualify for the Asian Cup.
Hanoi Police FC is undefeated in the AFC Champions League 2 group stage.
PHOTO: MINH TU
CAHN FC has demonstrated its capabilities after the first two matches, drawing 2-2 with Beijing Guoan (China) after dominating possession, and then defeating Tai Po (Hong Kong) 3-0 thanks to a dominant performance. Coach Polking's team possesses the strength, technique, fluidity, and speed to control the game. However, CAHN FC still has limitations that have yet to be fully overcome. These include a weakness in physical fitness (often losing control of the game and conceding goals in the last 20 minutes), lack of concentration, wasted opportunities, and vulnerability to counter-attacks against opponents with quick attacks. To progress further in the AFC Champions League 2, as Coach Polking stated in yesterday's press conference (October 22), CAHN FC must both play and improve.
Coach Polking analyzed: "We watched videos of our opponent. They are a strong team, physically fit, with good wing attacks and agility. Therefore, CAHN Club has been practicing tactics to prepare as best as possible for the match. In addition, playing at home helps us to implement our technical skills well." In tonight's match, CAHN Club needs to cover the flanks well, which are often exploited by high-positioned defenders. At the same time, the defensive line with Hugo Gomes, Dinh Trong, Tuan Duong, Vitao… also needs to compete well to hold their ground against Macarthur's strong forwards.
Coach Polking's players should also manage their energy well to avoid running out of steam towards the end of the match, given the packed schedule across four competitions, which can overwhelm any team. The lesson from the defeat against Buriram due to last-minute goals in the ASEAN Club Championship final last season is still fresh in their minds, and CAHN Club needs to remember this.
To counter their physically formidable opponents, CAHN FC must control the ball well, utilize their technique and fluidity to unlock the opposing defense. Coach Polking affirmed that CAHN FC has perfected their tactics. Using softness to overcome hardness, employing fluidity and grace to defeat the Australian team, the Vietnamese representative will keep all three points at Hang Day Stadium.
THE SORROW OF NAM DINH CLUB
At the Panasonic Suita Stadium (Japan) on the evening of October 22nd, Nam Dinh FC suffered a heavy 1-3 defeat against Gamba Osaka in the third matchday of the AFC Champions League 2 group stage. This defeat was predictable for Coach Vu Hong Viet's team, as Gamba Osaka is clearly on a different level. The Japanese team has won the J-League, has played in the AFC Champions League for two decades, and possesses a quality squad of both domestic and foreign players.
However, the way Nam Dinh FC lost showed a huge difference in skill level between Vietnamese and Japanese football. Despite fielding eight foreign players, Coach Vu Hong Viet's team was completely overwhelmed, unable to control the game and vulnerable to their opponents' well-coordinated passing game. Nam Dinh's foreign players created a disjointed picture, with only isolated combinations and dribbling attempts from Marlos Brenner and Percy Tau. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese defense made numerous mistakes, most notably in the goal that made it 2-0, where midfielder Ryoya Yamashita single-handedly dribbled through Nam Dinh's tall defenders before crossing the ball for Issam Jebali to score.
With their tall foreign players, Nam Dinh FC has improved their stature, but the team's weakness in the Asian tournament is not just muscle or height, but also footballing intelligence. Despite having a squad of players with modest physiques, Gamba Osaka still made Nam Dinh's "giants" struggle to chase the ball throughout the match thanks to their superior tactical thinking. Although currently playing inconsistently in J-League 1 (winning only 15 out of 34 matches, ranking 9th), Gamba Osaka is still far too strong for the reigning V-League champions.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-thi-dau-afc-champions-league-2-hom-nay-clb-cahn-gap-thach-thuc-den-tu-uc-185251022225712103.htm
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