Hoa Phat Hanoi AFC Cup hope ends after home defeat
Vietnamese cup winners Hoa Phat Hanoi’s hopes of going through to the AFC Cup"s quarter-finals ended in a lacklustre fashion after a 2-0 defeat at…
The defeat left Hoa Phat Hanoi on two points after four games and have almost has eliminated from the tournament.
Ali Ashad scored in each half to seal a 2-0 victory for the visitors while Hoa Phat Hanoi lacked a cutting edge during the match.
Explained at a press conference after the match, Hoa Phat Hanoi”s manager Vuong Tien Dung said: SWe are in difficulties with six key players are sidelined due to injuries. The reserve players could not fill the gap left behind by the sidelined players.⬝
In fact, Hoa Phat Hanoi are struggling in the domestic championship/V-League with disappointing results, having won one out of eight matches.
Hoa Phat Hanoi seemed to have turned their attention to the V-League. Therefore, manager Dung lined up many players who rarely played in the V-League, and his team lacked the spark and drive to take on the Maldives side, who were far from being impressive, but took three points home.
Willians Dos Santos, who played as the only frontman, was Hoa Phat Hanoi”s most dangerous player, being on hand in their three opportunities.
Santos set up Cong Manh after 12 minutes but the midfielder shot wide. Santos tested goalkeeper Mohamed Faisal with a powerful strike, which was palmed away by Faisal. Just before half-time, Dos Santos”s through ball released leftback Le Anh, who was denied by Faisal”s leg.
On the other end, the Maldives team created two chances with Ali Ashad heading over the bar and Ahmed Ashfan being denied by goalkeeper Chau Tri Cuong.
However, when Tri Cuong and centrebacks misunderstood each other in blocking Ashfan”s freekick, they gifted a chance to Ashad, who slotted the ball in on 36 minutes.
After the break, Hoa Phat Hanoi were unable to raise their performance, despite bringing on Juselio Da Silva, Nguyen Hong Nam and Alphonse Gatera.
The Maldives players, who earn their living from a variety of jobs rather than being professional footballers, were the better side, inspired by Adam Lareef, who caused many troubles for the right side of Hoa Phat.
The home team were made to pay the price for their weakness on the right side, when Lareef provided a good cross for Ashad to strike home the second goal in the counterattack nine minutes from time.
Ashad could have scored a hat-trick in the match if his header had not hit the post earlier.
Nhan dan
