Group C: Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (VIE) 3-1 Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team (TPE)
Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC produced a strong second half performance to see off Chinese Taipei’s Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team 3-1 in their AFC Women’s Champions League™ 2024/25 Group C tie at the Thong Nhat Stadium on Sunday.
After a tame first half, Ho Chi Minh came alive after the break to start their campaign on an emphatic note.
The home side were the more threatening from the start and should have done better in the ninth minute after Nguyen Thi Kim Yen sent a delightful cross into the box, only for Chuong Thi Kieu to head the ball wide
Taichung Blue Whale began to find their rhythm with Silawan Intamee attempting an audacious long-range strike in the 16th minute, trying to catch Ho Chi Minh City keeper Quach Thu Em who had strayed out of position.
Maho Tanaka came close for Taichung Blu Whale six minutes later, but her header from the centre of the box sailed just over the bar, following a cross from Chang Chi.
Ho Chi Minh City survived another scare in the 36th minute when Intamee broke into the box but with only Quach to beat, the Taichung Blu Whale midfielder’s effort was palmed away, before Saowalak Peng Ngam angled her header just over the bar.
Intamee squandered another chance to put Taichung Blue Whale ahead in the 42nd minute when she attempted a lob that beat the outstretched Quach, only for the ball to sail across the face of the goal.
Ho Chi Minh City increased their intensity in the second half and found the breakthrough in the 50th minute after Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngan converted off a rebound from inside the box after Quach had parried Phan Thị Trang’s initial effort.
Taichung Blue Whale played in patches and their inconsistency came back to haunt them as Ho Chi Minh City doubled their tally in the 65th minute with Huynh Nhu heading in Tran Thi Thu Thao’s cross from the right.
Nhu doubled her tally two minutes later, converting Meghan Root’s through pass with a cool finish.
Taichung Blue Whale pulled one back through Huang Ke-sin, who volleyed home from inside the box, but it was too late to change the course of the game as Ho Chi Minh City held on to seal the win.
Ho Chi Minh City will meet India’s Odisha FC next on Wednesday while Taichung Blue Whale will hope to bounce with a win against Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies of Japan.
