Shopee Cup™ – Final 2nd Leg Report: Buriram United 3-3 Công An Hà Nội FC (3-2 penalties)

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Hanoi, Jason Pendant broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, and the visitors then doubled their advantage through a Leo Artur penalty in the 39th minute. Peter Zulj pulled one back for Buriram in the 83rd minute before Lucas Crispim’s stunning last-gasp free-kick took the game to extra time.

Guilherme Bissoli’s penalty in the 104th minute put Buriram in front but Alan Grafite levelled two minutes from time as the final went to penalties. Chatchai then produced three saves in the shootout – the last of them denying Bui Hoang Viet Anh – as Buriram created history by becoming the first-ever Shopee Cup winners.

Following an even opening 15 minutes, it was the Vietnamese side – managed by former Thailand head coach Mano Polking – who drew first blood at Buriram Stadium, and they did so in stunning fashion.

Pendant received the ball on the left side before playing a give-and-go with Artur then another one-two with Nguyen Quang Hai, whose sumptuous return ball sent the left-back into the box. He took one touch to compose himself before coolly slotting past Chatchai into the bottom left corner.

The hosts responded strongly and came close to levelling in the 20th minute. Theerathon Bunmathan slipped a lovely through ball into the left side of the area to the onrushing Sasalak Haiprakhon, and the full-back’s cross deflected off Hugo Gomes but was cleared off the line by Pendant.

Buriram continued to push and Bissoli shot just over with a lob from 40 yards midway through the half before Zulj fired wide from outside the area soon after.

But the Thai champions were given a mountain to climb when the referee awarded the visitors a penalty in the 37th minute after a VAR review confirmed that Zulj fouled Gomes just inside the box. Up stepped Artur to send Chatchai the wrong way, planting the ball to the goalkeeper’s left to double his side’s lead.

Công An goalkeeper Filip Nguyen was three times called into action in the dying stages of the first half, first to parry out a miscued header by his own defender Pendant, then to keep out a Martin Boakye header and finally to deny Bissoli’s header from a Theerathon free-kick before Pansa Hemviboon skewed his follow-up effort wide from close in.

With Buriram desperate to get back into the match early in the second half, it was Công An who came close to netting the game’s third goal in the 55th minute. The lively Quang Hai found Artur in the left side of the area, the Brazilian’s curling effort just inches away from the top left corner.

Osmar Loss’ Buriram had an excellent chance to level in the 73rd minute when Pansa headed across goal for Boakye, but his header from six yards out was superbly saved by Nguyen in the Công An goal before Le Van Do threw himself towards Pansa to block the defender’s follow-up strike.

But the hosts then handed themselves a lifeline in the 83rd minute when Crispim’s shot from outside the area was controlled by Supachai Chaided and fell kindly into the path of Zulj to sweep the ball into the bottom left corner from 10 yards out.

And just when it seemed time was ticking away from Buriram, Crispim produced the most dramatic of finishes in the 98th minute when his thunderous free-kick from 30 yards crashed off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net as the Công An players sank to their knees.

Vitao’s effort early in extra time was deflected wide as Công An sought to raise their game once more but soon it was their goalkeeper Nguyen who was called into action again, producing a flying save to tip Bissoli’s effort from distance over the crossbar.

Buriram were then awarded a penalty when Crispim’s cross from the right struck the hand of the unfortunate Giap Tuan Duong and Bissoli coolly converted straight down the middle in the 104th minute.

Supachai could have put the icing on the cake with seven minutes to play when he raced into the box, cut inside Gomes and curled inches past the right post. And it was a miss that would prove costly because, indrecibly, Công An were not done yet.

After Chatchai produced and excellent save to tip Van Do’s effort over, the visitors made it 3-3 from the ensuing corner as Grafite rose highest at the back post to head home Van Do’s centre from the left and take the game to penalties.

After Zulj and Crispim had scored either side of Van Do’s penalty, Chatchai denied Pendant before both Boakye and Gomes also saw their penalties saved.

Phitiwat Sukjitthammakul put Buriram 3-1 up before Alan netted to leave Pansa with the opportunity to win it for Buriram. Nguyen denied the defender but Chatchai proved the hero by saving from Viet Anh as the Thai champions were crowned kings of ASEAN following a contest that will live long in the memory.