Nam Dinh Club has had a forgettable start.
After a 2-0 away win against Lee Man, Nam Dinh FC only managed a draw against Bangkok United in the second round of the AFC Champions League 2 group stage. Despite fielding seven foreign players and one naturalized player, coach Vu Hong Viet's team couldn't secure all three points, leading to a crucial away match against Tampines Rovers to keep pace with their Thai rivals, Bangkok United.
Nam Dinh FC (in white shirts) pushed their formation forward but were punished by defensive errors.
In the away match in Singapore, coach Vu Hong Viet maintained his familiar 7+1 formation from the previous game, giving maximum opportunities to foreign players and naturalized star Nguyen Xuan Son. The three rare purely Vietnamese players in the starting lineup were goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh, defender Nguyen Van Vi, and midfielder To Van Vu.
With a strong defensive lineup, Nam Dinh FC pressed Tampines Rovers in an attempt to score an early goal. In the 5th minute, Joseph Mpande dispossessed a home defender and immediately took a shot, but the Tampines Rovers defense made a desperate block. It was unfortunate for Nam Dinh, because if Mpande had passed to Nguyen Xuan Son, the visitors would have had a much clearer scoring opportunity.
Immediately after this situation, Nam Dinh FC conceded a goal. In the 12th minute, Shahiran delivered a cold shower to the visitors with an accurate shot, putting Tampines Rovers ahead. The Singaporean representative found their second goal in the 26th minute when Kunori beat goalkeeper Nguyen Manh with another very dangerous shot.
Nam Dinh Club compensates for defensive weaknesses with offensive strength.
The first half was a difficult period for Nam Dinh FC. Coach Vu Hong Viet's players kept clean sheets against Lee Man and Bangkok United, but when facing the weakest opponent in the group, Nam Dinh's defense played carelessly and made mistakes.
Nevertheless, resilience brought Nam Dinh back into the game at the right moment. In the 33rd minute, Nguyen Xuan Son made a clever run, accurately receiving Lucas Silva's cross to finish from close range, reducing the score to 1-2. In the 42nd minute, Mpande redeemed himself with a header following an aerial duel with Hendrio Araujo, leveling the score at 2-2 for Nam Dinh just before halftime.
A stalemate
With a strong attacking force as Hendrio, Mpande, and Nguyen Xuan Son all pushed forward to approach the penalty area, Nam Dinh FC continued to push their formation high up the pitch.
However, Tampines Rovers also played very defensively. The Singaporean team assigned defenders to closely mark Nguyen Xuan Son and isolate the 1997-born striker from his teammates.
Nam Dinh FC's defense was sloppy.
Before they could find a way to score, Nam Dinh's net was shaken again. In the 62nd minute, center-back Shuya rose high to head the ball into the net, giving Tampines Rovers their third lead. In this situation, goalkeeper Nguyen Manh misjudged the ball's trajectory, while the Nam Dinh defenders failed to mark their man securely, allowing the opponent to easily score from behind.
Nam Dinh FC relentlessly attacked in the final 20 minutes of the match, and once again, the visitors equalized. In the 76th minute, Hendrio passed the ball to Nguyen Tuan Anh, before the 1995-born player skillfully turned and curled a powerful shot into the far corner, leveling the score at 3-3 for Nam Dinh.
Despite pressing their opponents in the remaining minutes, Nam Dinh were unable to score another goal. The Vietnamese representatives had to settle for one point in Singapore.
After 3 matches, Nam Dinh FC has 5 points, temporarily sitting in second place in the group. In the other match, Bangkok United defeated Lee Man 1-0 away from home to solidify their position at the top with 7 points. The third and fourth placed teams still have a chance to advance, with 3 return matches remaining. However, with 4 points more than the team behind them, Nam Dinh FC currently holds a significant advantage in the race.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tuan-anh-ghi-tuyet-pham-clb-nam-dinh-chia-diem-man-nhan-o-cup-c2-chau-a-185241024175830765.htm
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