Singapore lost 1-2 in the last 10 minutes at Hougang United's field in the second leg on the evening of October 5, Hai Phong lost the top spot in Group H of the AFC Cup.
*Goals: Maksimovic 82', 90'+2 - Yuri 56' (penalty).
Hai Phong suffered a major loss of strength before the away match against Hougang United when a series of key players such as Bicou Bissainthe, Joseph Mpande and Nguyen Huu Son were injured. Foreign striker Lucao do Break has not fully recovered and is only on the bench. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's team is facing even more difficulties when they have to play on artificial turf at Jalan Besar instead of natural grass as usual.
Hai Phong (in white) made a mistake at the end of the match and lost when they visited Singapore to play against Hougang United. Photo: AFC
Therefore, Hai Phong could not maintain a well-coordinated style of play. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's players repeatedly made poor passes and lost the ball, allowing Hougang United to counterattack. During their attacks, the home team continuously penetrated the right wing guarded by A San and created two dangerous opportunities. However, Mohammad Halim continuously shot wide and could not beat goalkeeper Dinh Trieu in two face-offs in the 18th and 34th minutes.
In the first half, Hai Phong's midfield could not control the game, leading to the attack falling into a "starved ball" situation. In 45 minutes, they only had one significant opportunity when Yuri made a wall, passing the ball back to Martin Lo who shot over the bar in the 24th minute.
In the second half, coach Chu Dinh Nghiem decided to "change the blood" of the midfield, bringing in Le Manh Dung and Le Tien Anh to replace Nguyen Trong Dai and Nguyen Tuan Anh. The away team pushed up their formation, surrounded and coordinated better. The opportunity to score came to them in the 50th minute when Trieu Viet Hung put pressure on midfielder Hougang, causing him to pass back incorrectly, allowing Yuri to get the ball. But Hai Phong's foreign player could not beat goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam.
However, Yuri did not have to regret for too long, because just six minutes later he opened the scoring. This foreign player was pushed by Kazuma Takayama after rushing in to receive Viet Hung's cross and referee Dilan Perera immediately blew the whistle for a penalty. Hougang United players protested but there was no VAR in the match, so the referee did not change his decision. At the penalty spot, Yuri fooled goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam and shot low into the left corner to open the scoring.
Maksimovic scored a double to help host Hougang United come from behind to defeat Hai Phong. Photo: AFC
After taking the advantage, Hai Phong dominated the ball. However, as the match entered its final minutes, their defense had moments of lapses in concentration. In the 80th minute, the goalpost saved Hai Phong a goal, but just two minutes later they still conceded. Tien Anh made a bad pass, allowing Nazrul Nazara to get the ball, passing it to Maksimovic to face goalkeeper Dinh Trieu. The number 44 striker of Hougang United placed a perfect shot, scoring the equalizer 1-1.
The equalizer helped Hougang United to boost their spirits and confidently coordinate their attacks. Meanwhile, Hai Phong players were down in both strength and spirit, and could no longer maintain their ability to control the ball to organize attacks. The Vietnamese representative's defense continuously revealed gaps. In the first minute of extra time, Hai Phong's right-back could not keep up, allowing Amy Recha to break through and chip the ball over goalkeeper Dinh Trieu's head, narrowly missing the goal. Two minutes later, Hai Phong's defense continued to be broken and they conceded a second goal. The away team let Hougang United penetrate the opponent's left wing, Anders Aplin broke down close to the touchline, crossed for Maksimovic to comfortably tap the ball into the net, making the score 2-1.
Losing the away match in Singapore, Hai Phong lost the top spot in Group H. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's team has three points after two matches, three points behind Malaysia's Sabah, who won 5-0 when they visited Indonesia to play PSM Makassar in the same match. Hai Phong will play their next match in the AFC Cup on October 25, hosting Sabah.
Lam Thoa
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