Regret for Hanoi Police Club

Nguyen Filip had a great match, with saves both in regular time and in the penalty shootout, but still had to lose because the opponent's goalkeeper was better - Photo: HANOI POLICE CLUB

After a 2-3 defeat (3-3 draw in 120 minutes) on penalties in the second leg of the final against Buriram Utd on the evening of May 21, Hanoi Police Club (CAHN) sadly finished second in the ASEAN Club Championship. However, the police team showed commendable resilience in the regional tournament in its first participation.

Meaningful journey

Not only did CAHN Club carry the hope of winning the championship to the final match, they also contributed a match of high professional quality and full of emotions. The Vietnamese representative only lost to a more experienced and brave team, on the opponent's home field.

Buriram United is one of the most traditional and potential clubs in Thai football. Their squad has many expensive foreign players and many national team players from the Golden Temple country. They are the old opponents of Cong An Ha Noi Club from the group stage.

When the two teams met, not many people believed in the police team's ability to win, even when they played at home.

However, taking advantage of the situation where Buriram had to divide their troops to play in many arenas, along with reasonable calculations as well as coach Polking's understanding of Thai football, CAHN Club won 2-1 at Hang Day Stadium, as the saying goes "a good start makes a good ending".

In the remaining matches in Group B, except for the overwhelming 5-0 victory over LC Sailors, CAHN Club faced difficulties and was chased by their opponents. However, Polking and his team still won convincingly. They won 5-0 over LC Sailors, 2-1 over Kaya FC, 3-2 over Kuala Lumpur and 3-2 over Borneo, thereby topping Group B.

The Vietnamese representative is also the only team to win all 15 points after 5 matches in the group stage of the 2024-2025 Southeast Asian Championship.

In the semi-finals, CAHN met PSM Makassar (Indonesia). In the first leg, after many missed opportunities by the attacking players, the Vietnamese representative lost 0-1. However, this was not the end. CAHN made amends when returning to Hang Day Stadium, winning 2-0, confidently entering the final, rematching with Buriram Utd.

The clash between CAHN Club and Buriram Utd once again shows the fate of the two leading football teams in the region - Vietnam and Thailand.

Bui Hoang Viet Anh and his teammates learned many lessons after losing to Thailand's top team - Photo: HANOI POLICE CLUB

Dramatic, emotional final

CAHN took the lead twice in the first leg at Hang Day Stadium on May 14. However, due to the strikers wasting opportunities and the opponent taking advantage of loopholes, Polking and his team had to accept a regrettable 2-2 draw.

In the second leg last night, despite having to play away, CAHN Club still played very resiliently, at one point almost reaching the championship title.

Quang Hai and his teammates took a 2-0 lead right at Chang Arena, silencing thousands of Thai spectators. In the 90+7 minute, the Vietnamese team was still leading 2-1 and was only cruelly equalized in the final seconds by a controversial referee decision.

Even when they were behind 3-2 in extra time, Polking's team still played bravely, equalizing 3-3 with a goal by Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, dragging the match into a penalty shootout.

Despite the defeat, CAHN Club left its mark with determination, demonstrating the mettle of Vietnamese football - never faltering when having to compete on Thai soil.

The performance of the police team in all 3 matches against the representative of the Golden Temple country has clearly demonstrated: Vietnamese football no longer considers Thailand as superior as before. We have the courage to compete fairly, not to give up, whether on away or home field.

THANG NGUYEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tiec-nuoi-cho-clb-cong-an-ha-noi-20250522053127263.htm