The winners of the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ will be crowned on Wednesday as Buriram United of Thailand and Vietnam’s Công An Hà Nội FC meet in the second leg of the final at Buriram Stadium.
The first leg in Hanoi produced a thriller as Thai champions Buriram came back from behind not once but twice to hold Công An to an entertaining 2-2 draw in front of a vociferous crowd at the Hang Day Stadium and set up a mouthwatering return leg.
With the stage set for a dramatic conclusion, it’s time for heroes to rise, so join ASEAN United FC as we look at four players who could propel their sides to the Shopee Cup™ title in the much-anticipated second leg of the final.
Lucas Crispim (Buriram United)
Lucas Crispim is Buriram United’s main creative spark in the midfield and has already guided the Thunder Castle to two Thai League 1 titles since joining them from Brazilian top division side Fortaleza in 2024. The 30-year-old will now hope to add another title with the Thai giants by getting the better of Công An Hà Nội FC in the second leg of the title showdown, after playing a big role in Buriram’s comeback in the first leg.
Cripsim remains Shopee Cup™’s joint top scorer alongside Công An’s Leo Artur and Terengganu’s Safawi Rasid with five goals that he scored during the group stage of the tournament. But with him yet to score in the knockout stages, the 30-year-old will be eager to not only collect the title but also a personal accolade by becoming the outright top scorer in the maiden edition of the premier regional club competition.
Nguyen Quang Hai (Công An Hà Nội FC)
Nguyen Quang Hai was one of the stars of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 as he guided Vietnam to a third regional title, playing a key role in both legs of the final against Thailand. Now, the Vietnamese ace is on the brink of taking Công An Hà Nội FC to a regional title, with his influence remaining as pivotal as ever in dictating the tempo of the game, unlocking defences, and inspiring his teammates in the biggest of moments.
The Công An captain has a goal and two assists in the Shopee Cup™ but will hope to make an even bigger impact in the competition in the do-or-die battle. Quang Hai is still only 28 years old and he will need to bring the qualities that has made him one of the biggest names in Southeast Asian football, if they are to overcome a strong challenge from home side Buriram.
Supachai Chaided (Buriram United)
One player who will be crucial in Buriram United’s quest for glory in the second leg of the final will be Supachai Chaided. The 26-year-old striker has two goals and two assists in eight appearances in the Shopee Cup™ so far and will hope to add to that tally in front of the home faithful come Wednesday evening.
Supachai was at the end of important chances for Buriram in the first leg against Công An Hà Nội FC. He tested Filip Nguyen when Buriram were on the backfoot early in the first half and was denied again by the goalkeeper at the start of the second. With chances likely to be at a premium in the return leg, the Thailand international will hope to have better luck in front of goal and rise to the occasion to help secure the Shopee Cup™ title for Osmar Loss’ side in front of their fans at the Buriram Stadium.
Leo Artur (Công An Hà Nội FC)
Another player Công An Hà Nội FC will hope makes a difference in the second leg is the in-form Leo Artur. The Brazilian has been one of the standout performers of the tournament and currently sits joint top of the scoring charts with five goals. He is also capable of creating chances for his teammates and has four assists, wreaking havoc down the left wing on the behalf of Alexandre Polking’s side.
The 30-year-old missed the semi-finals against PSM Makassar with an injury but marked his return to the line-up in style in the first leg of the final, as he turned in a cross from Vitao to give them the lead against Buriram United with only 18 minutes on the clock. Artur will need to be at his clinical best once again if Công An are to overcome the Thai champions and return from the enemy turf with the Shopee Cup™ trophy in hand.
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