The group stage of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ got underway to much fanfare on August 21 across five venues in three different nations.
Since then, all 12 clubs have been busy with domestic and continental action ahead of the resumption of the Shopee Cup next week.
ASEAN United FC brings you up to speed with the form of every club and also looks at the key takeaways from their recent fixtures.
Group A
After opening their campaign with a 3-1 win against Shan United FC, Đông Á Thanh Hóa FC sit top of Group A. However, since then they’ve had an indifferent form, losing the Vietnamese Super Cup final 3-0 to defending V. League 1 champions Nam Dinh followed by opening the new 2024/25 V.League 1 season with a 2-1 home loss to Becamex Binh Duong. Having scored in the win against Shan United, Yago Ramos scored the only goal in a 1-0 win in the V.League 1 against fellow Shopee Cup side Công An Hà Nôi FC before Wednesday's trip to Malaysia's Terengganu FC.
PKR Svay Rieng FC produced one of the standout results on Matchday One after a 3-2 away win against Terengganu and the Cambodian champions continued that form with a 6-1 league victory against Kirivong Sok Sen Chey as Nhean Sosidan and Bounphachan Bounkong both netted a brace. There was a slight hiccup with a 1-0 defeat to Visakha FC, but Pablo and Bounphachan helped them immediately bounce back with a 2-0 win against Nagaworld ahead of next week's trip to Thailand to face BG Pathum United.
Following a 0-0 draw in their Shopee Cup opener against PSM Makassar, BG Pathum United returned home to suffer a 4-1 Thai League 1 defeat at the hands of Ratchaburi FC. The Rabbits got back to winning ways after scoring five goals without conceding in two matches against Chiangrai United and Khon Kaen United. Teerasil Dangda then scored the opener in a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Nongbua Pitchaya last week and BGPU then handed high-flying Port FC their first defeat of the season with Freddy Alvarez and Chanathip Songkrasin on target in a 2-1 success before hosting Svay Rieng on Wednesday.
PSM Makassar have had only home matches since hosting BG Pathum at Batakan Stadium on Matchday One, recording a 3-1 win against Dewa United with Liga 1 Player of the Month Nermin Haljeta, Aloisio Neto and Daisuke Sakai all on the scoresheet. However, the win was followed by a 0-0 draw against reigning Liga 1 champions Persib Bandung and a first defeat of the league at the hands of Arema FC. Another goalless stalemate at home against PSIS Semarang followed on Friday before Myanmar's Shan United visit on Matchday Two of the Shopee Cup.
A disappointing defeat to Svay Rieng in their Shopee Cup opener was followed by a three-week break from Malaysia Super League action for Terengganu FC, who returned with a 1-1 away draw against Sabah FC as Ismahil Akinade scored the equaliser helping the Turtles remain in third place in the league table. They will now turn their attention back to the Shopee Cup as they aim to get their first points on the board when hosting Thanh Hoa on Wednesday.
Shan United FC have continued their impressive Myanmar National League form, scoring 11 goals in their last three wins against Rakhine United, Ayeyawady United and Mahar United powered by Efrain Rintaro’s combined three goals in those matches. They warmed up for their trip to Indonesia to take on PSM Makassar with a 5-1 victory against Yadanarbon in the league on Friday.
Group B
Since their 3-0 triumph against Lion City Sailors FC in the Shopee Cup, Borneo FC Samarinda have remained in fine form. A hard-fought 1-1 draw against PSS Sleman despite a 12th minute red card to goalkeeper Nadeo Argawinata was sandwiched between wins against Bali United and Malut United as head coach Pietar Huistra was adjudged as the Best Coach of the Month. The Liga 1 leaders travel to Barito Putera on Monday before heading to Malaysia to play Kuala Lumpur City FC on Matchday Two.
Công An Hà Nôi FC claimed a superb 2-1 win against Buriram United on Matchday One but then conceded a 94th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Hai Phong in their V.League 1 season opener. After suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Thanh Hoa in the league on Friday, they will hope to return to winning ways in the Shopee Cup when they host Lion City Sailors on Thursday.
After their 1-0 success against Kaya FC-Iloilo in their Shopee Cup opener, Kuala Lumpur City FC enjoyed a break in the league before returning with a bang by recording a 5-0 victory against Kedah Darul Aman as captain Paulo Josue broke Singapore legend Fandi Ahmad’s record to become the capital city club’s all-time top-scorer. A 1-0 away defeat to Perak on Saturday means KL City will once again aim to hit top gear in Shopee Cup action at home to Borneo on Thursday.
Yet to concede a goal since that setback against Công An, Buriram United have been on an impressive streak of late, starting with wins against Chiangrai United, Khon Kaen United and Nakhon Pathom United. Successive goalless draws followed, first away to title challengers Port FC and then in the AFC Champions League Elite against reigning J.League champions Vissel Kobe, followed by six different scorers in a 6-0 thumping of PT Prachuap in the league which should give them plenty of confidence ahead of Matchday Two. With another home match against Kaya in the Shopee Cup coming up, they will aim to keep that impressive defensive record going.
Kaya FC-Iloilo have been in AFC Champions League Two action with a trip to Japan to face Sanfrecce Hiroshima, where they were beaten 3-0 on Thursday. But the big news is Japanese fan favourite Daizo Horikoshi has returned to the Filipino champions having been the club’s top-scorer in their maiden Philippines Football League title-winning season in 2022-23 and he will surely be key for Thursday's trip to Buriram.
And finally, Lion City Sailors FC had their difficulties in the Singapore Premier League after returning from their Shopee Cup defeat to Borneo, going down to Albirex Niigata (S) 3-1 and only managing a 2-2 draw versus Geylang International before hitting top form with a 6-0 victory against Tanjong Pagar United to go top of the league table followed by seeing off China's Zhejiang FC 2-0 in the AFC Champions League Two. Balestier Khalsa were then beaten 3-1 in the Bishan Derby as the Sailors took a three-point lead in the SPL, before a trip to Vietnam to face Công An Hà Nôi.
Photo: Kuala Lumpur City FC
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