Preview – Group F: Kaya FC-Iloilo braced for tough AFC Champions League test against Viettel FC

Both debutants suffered opening day defeats, with Philippines side Kaya FC third in the standings and Vietnam’s Viettel fourth, and a win at the Pathum Thani Stadium on Tuesday will serve as a huge boost for both.

Kaya FC struggled against hosts BG Pathum United last Saturday, with the hosts scoring four goals past the Filipino club, but head coach Graham Harvey and his charges have had constructive feedback which will be beneficial in the tie against the Vietnamese side.

“We’re feeling a little bit tired after a tough game, and the majority of the second half with 10 men,” admitted Harvey. “We did a good job in our recovery session and made some plans tactically.

“There were a lot of positives to take from that game. As you saw, we scored even with 10 men, and I think we did a very disciplined job in keeping our shape and structure as well as we can.”

The Iloilo-based club will have to go into the match without defender Simone Rota, who received a red card against BG Pathum United, but Harvey believes other players in his squad can step up.

“As you’ve seen in our first two games (including the playoff against Shanghai Port) Simone is a starter for us, so it’s a big loss. But it’s something we have prepared for, not just here in Thailand but before we flew here.

“We have done quite a lot of work on our squad. We got some good options to replace him and we’re comfortable with what we got.”

Harvey also tipped his hat to how well Viettel fought to contain Ulsan, and while the Australian doesn’t expect the same defensive style on Tuesday, he said Kaya FC are prepared for anything the Vietnamese champions throw at them.

“Time will tell if they are going to come out of their shell. I think the onus is probably on them as champions of Vietnam to come out and attack, but whether they do, we are prepared for both options. It’d be nice if they did so that we can exploit some space which we can work on. We’ve got a couple of ideas for both ways.

“I thought they were really competitive and credit to them for working so hard across that 90 minute period. I don’t think they created an awful lot against Ulsan, but in terms of their commitment off the ball, I think they were really good and exceptional.”

Viettel impressed against Ulsan but found little opportunities up front and head coach Heinz-Jurge Gede is hoping to show their attacking prowess against Kaya FC.

“If you play against Ulsan, you have to be careful, and have to be serious and not go attacking, but this team is different,” said Gede. “We have got some positives from that match, and now we’re really focused on the next game. I hope we can do something and we are looking forward to this match.

“We had training yesterday, and we have final training session today, so we will see how the players are. Tomorrow morning we will make the best choice for us.”

Gede also revealed the absence of several players due to injury, but three key men will be fit and ready by Tuesday.

“We’ve analysed the game against Ulsan and of course we have some changes to make before the next game,” said Gede.

“There are two good things that came out of that match, one of them is that there were no injuries which is the most important thing. Secondly, three players came back to the team training yesterday, so we have some more opportunities and we look forward to tomorrow against Kaya.”

Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI) v Viettel FC (VIE)
Venue: Pathum Thani Stadium, Bangkok
Kick-off: 21:00 hours (UTC+7)