Football

 

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội Police thought they had Beijing Guoan in custody, but in the end they had to settle for a dramatic 2-2 draw in the AFC Champions League 2 opener on September 18 in Beijing.

Coach Mano Polking’s men looked set to secure their first win in the competition but wasted several gilt-edged chances.

Vitao struck in the 15th minute to put the visitors ahead, but Chi Zhongguo levelled just after the restart. Zhang Yuan then gave the Chinese Super League side the lead on 65 minutes before Rogerio Alves equalised eight minutes later to salvage a point for the V.League 1 leaders.

“I am really pleased with players' performance. We play an amazing match although we had some moment loosening our focus. Against a strong rival we show our endurance and good tactics and we manage the game well,” said Polking in the post-match conference.

"We deserved to get three points for this performance but we missed our opportunity. One point still helps but we should have three.”

Host side coach Quique Setién, who previously worked at Barcelona FC, said it was a tough match. There were many fierce clashes throughout what he described as one of the most intense games he had played since arriving in China.

"Hà Nội Police had many good players and the coach also built a solid tactical plan. They moved well in wide areas and put a lot of pressure on his side," Setién said.

Setién added that he had predicted the opposition's playing style and prepared solutions for it. His players responded with pressure of their own, but he admitted he had never thought Việt Nam could produce such a strong team, describing their style as a blend of Vietnamese and Brazilian.

In the next fixture on October 2, Hà Nội Police will host Hong Kong's Tai Po FC, who opened with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Macarthur FC at Mong Kok Stadium.

Beijing Guoan will travel to New South Wales to face Macarthur of Australia in search of their first win. VNS