South Korea's Hanoi FC aim to take at least one point when they face Pohang Steelers away in the fifth round of the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League group stage.
Pohang Steelers have just won the runner-up position in K-League 1 in 2023. The team is also sure to continue in the AFC Champions League when leading Group J with 12 points, eight points ahead of second-place Urawa Red Diamonds with two matches left. In the first leg, Hanoi lost 2-4 to the Korean club at home at My Dinh Stadium.
In the return match tomorrow, November 29 at Steelyard Stadium, Hanoi aims to have at least a draw. "We always want to win every match but we cannot always do it," said coach Le Duc Tuan at a press conference before the match at Steelyard Stadium. "One point is the minimum goal against Pohang."
Pham Tuan Hai (in white shirt) is leading the scoring list of Hanoi FC in the AFC Champions League 2023-2024 with three goals. Photo: Hieu Luong
After a series of five consecutive losses at the beginning of the season, Hanoi FC defeated Wuhan Three Towns 2-1 in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League and Binh Duong 1-0 in the make-up match of the first round of the V-League. Striker Pham Tuan Hai's timely brilliance helped Hanoi win a hard-fought victory but was enough to improve the team's morale. The team also welcomed center-back Do Duy Manh back to training after a traffic accident on November 5.
In Group J, Hanoi are at the bottom with three points but only one point behind the two teams above them, Urawa Red Diamonds and Wuhan Three Towns. The chance to continue in theory is still there but in reality it is difficult, so Hanoi focuses on their performance in each match. "Viettel won six points in 2021, HAGL five points," said Mr. Tuan. "We want to achieve at least that to continue the achievements of Vietnamese clubs in the continental playground."
Hanoi FC (white shirt) lost 2-4 to Pohang Steelers at My Dinh Stadium in the opening match of the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League. Photo: Hieu Luong
In addition to the player level, Hanoi faces physical difficulties when having to play four consecutive matches in 12 days. After playing Pohang, Hanoi will meet Binh Dinh and SLNA in the 4th and 5th rounds of the V-League on December 3 and December 10, respectively, with Urawa in the final round of the AFC Champions League on December 6. The positive point is that Hanoi plays three matches at home and maintains the spirit of not giving up on any arena.
Coach Hanoi shared: "We will not give up even though the chances of advancing are slim. The team represents Vietnam in a major tournament so we must show our full potential and level. The coaching staff will try to arrange suitable personnel for each match to ensure physical fitness."
Hanoi will face Pohang Steelers at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Seoul time, or 5:00 p.m. Hanoi time.
Hieu Luong
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