Captain Nguyen Vu Phong of SHB Da Nang (right) tries to run the ball away from a player of Yadarnabon during their Toyota Mekong Club Championship on December 23 in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnameserepresentative SHB Da Nang were eliminated from the Toyota Mekong ClubChampionship after their 2-2 draw to Yadanarbon of Myanmar on December 23 in Hanoi.
In their first match, Da Nang unexpectedly lost1-2 to Laos Premier League champions Lanexang United FC.
The draw placed them at the bottom of the groupround and had virtually closed the door to the semi-finals.
Their coach Le Huynh Duc and his team, who needa big win over Yadanarbon, failed to carry out their plan against a team whichincluded six national team members who just won a bronze medal at the ASEANFootball Federation Suzuki Cup earlier this month.
SHB Da Nang could not make use of the advantageof playing on home turf.
Both two sides had chances to open the score inthe first half, and Da Nang went ahead with a header of midfielder BritezEzequiel David in the 22nd minute.
The joy of local fans lasted 23 minutes beforeMyo Zaw Oo levelled the result with a beautiful volley in the box secondsbefore the interval.
The ten-minute break did not help coach Duc tomake a change.
Yadanarbon took the lead 10 minutes after thebreak. Esoh Omogba netted exactly when he was in a one-two situation with DaNang’s goalkeeper Thanh Binh.
A strong effort later helped Da Nang equalisethrough Gaston Merlo from a penalty kick at the 61st mark.
Merlo then missed a golden opportunity inthe final minute when his kick hit the pole.
Speaking with reporters after the match coach LeHuynh Duc said, “We played a good game, had many chances and controlled thematch. We should not have suffered a two goal loss today because in my opinionYadanarbon players were in an off-side trap. I regret the result, but it is agame.”
On the other side, Desaeyere Rene Oscar Anna,coach of Yadanarbon was satisfied with his team, saying that despitedifficulties his players had earned a good result. A match with (four) goalsdefinitely entertained all fans.
He hoped his team could match this performancein the next match against Lanexang United.
In the last round of this stage, Yadarnabon willhost Lanexang United on December 27. While Lanexang United, with three points,need only a draw to advance to the semi-finals, Yadarnabon must win.
The winner of the qualification round will meetBoeung Ket Angkor FC of Cambodia in the semis on December 31.
The semi-final winner will play a two-leg finalagainst defending champions Buriram United FC of Thailand eight days later.-VNA
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