Hanoi FC won the first match in AFC Champions League

Thanks to a double from striker Pham Tuan Hai, Hanoi FC beat Wuhan Three Towns 2-1 in the fourth round of Group J, thereby maintaining their hope of advancing in the AFC Champions League.

*Goals: Tuan Hai 71' & 90' - He Chao 10'

Hanoi FC is having a disastrous start to the season. They lost all three of their first matches in the AFC Champions League, then lost two more matches to fall to the bottom of the 2023-2024 V-League table. The situation was so dire that the capital team had to change coaches twice, before promoting youth team coach Dinh The Nam to take over.

The storm seemed to be coming to Hanoi again in the match at My Dinh Stadium on the evening of November 8. They let the visitors dominate in the first minutes, and opened the score in the 10th minute. Wei Shihao passed the ball to Abdul-Aziz Yakubu, who backheeled for He Chao to shoot in the penalty area. If they had taken better advantage of their opportunities, including Yakubu's tap-in from about 5 meters in front of an empty goal in the 44th minute, the visitors could have increased the gap.

Pham Tuan Hai (left) took off his shirt to celebrate the winning goal for Hanoi FC 2-1 against Wuhan Three Towns in the 90th minute. Photo: Trung Nhu

On the contrary, the lack of connection between the lines made it difficult for Hanoi FC to launch attacks, having to rely on set pieces to create opportunities. In the 39th minute, from a direct free kick on the right wing, captain Nguyen Van Quyet did not hang the ball in the air but passed it low to Le Van Xuan who rushed up and shot from afar. The ball went low, hit a Wuhan player, changed direction and missed the post by inches. In the next corner kick, Van Quyet hung the ball outside the penalty area for Dau Van Toan to volley it to the ground, but a Wuhan player was able to clear the danger.

In the second half, Hanoi FC sent Hai Long and Do Hung Dung onto the field to replace Damien Le Tallec and Dau Van Toan to increase the attack power. Then, striker Van Tung replaced Herlison Caion. However, the home team still could not improve much in their playing style, having to wait for individual moments to shine to create a breakthrough.

In the 71st minute, Pham Xuan Manh crossed early from the right wing to the 16m50 area right in front of the goal. Despite being closely followed by the opponent, Tuan Hai still headed the ball over the head of goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo to equalize 1-1. Two minutes later, Hanoi FC continued to benefit when the opponent lost a player. Xuan Manh dribbled past Wei Shihao but was pulled down, then he was deliberately kneed in the face by the Chinese striker. The situation made the home players angry with Wei, and the main referee showed a red card and sent off the Wuhan player.

Wei Shihao (number 7) received a direct red card after kneeing Xuan Manh in the face in the 73rd minute. Photo: Trung Nhu

With more players, Hanoi FC pressed forward to put pressure but it was not until the 90th minute that they achieved results. Van Tung received the ball in front of the penalty area and passed it to Tuan Hai. His first touch was not neat and inadvertently allowed Tuan Hai to fool a Wuhan player. Then, he faked a shot to twist the second player's side and then poked the toe of his boot to score, sealing a 2-1 victory. The striker born in 1998 thus rose to the top of Hanoi FC's scoring list in the AFC Champions League with three goals, one more than Joel Tagueu.

The victory helped Hanoi FC end a five-match losing streak and earn their first three points in the AFC Champions League. Although still at the bottom of Group J, the V-League representative is only one point behind Wuhan and Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds, so they still have a chance to continue.

On November 29, Hanoi FC will travel to Korea to play against Pohang Steelers. On December 6, the team will welcome Urawa Red Diamonds at home.

Starting lineup

Hanoi FC : Bui Tan Truong, Vu Tien Long, Damien Le Tallec, Thanh Chung, Le Van Xuan, Pham Xuan Manh, Brandon Wilson, Dau Van Toan, Van Quyet, Pham Tuan Hai, Herlison Caion

Wuhan: Liu Dianzuo, Park Ji-su, Hang Ren, Jiang Zhipeng, Deng Hanwen, Zhang Xiaobin, He Chao, Gao Zhunyi, Wei Shihao, Davidson, Abdul-Aziz Yakubu.

Hieu Luong

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