Hanoi: Công An Hà Nội FC head coach Alexandre Polking stressed the importance of the Vietnamese pride to help his team overcome Indonesia’s PSM Makassar 2-0 in the semi-final second leg and reach the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ final on Wednesday.
After a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg away in Parepare, CAHN delivered an inspired performance to turn the tie around in front of a sellout crowd at Hang Day Stadium.
Second-half goals from centre-backs Hugo Gomes and Bui Hoang Viet Anh got the job done, much to the delight of Polking, with two of his team’s key attacking threats – Leo Artur and Nguyen Dinh Bac – sidelined with injuries.
“It was a great performance from the boys. We dominated the match right from the start, created a lot of chances and deserve to be in the final,” said Polking.
Despite dominating the first half, the Vietnamese side couldn’t find the breakthrough in the opening 45 minutes with Alan Grafite and Nguyen Quang Hai seeing their efforts kept out by PSM goalkeeper Reza Arya Pratama.
It was proving to be a mental block with Reza even saving Alan’s penalty in the first leg, which meant despite CAHN’s best efforts they were unable to find a way past him in three halves of football.
“During the half-time break, I told my players to keep believing and to be patient because everything was still in our control,” said Polking.
“We just needed to circulate the ball faster because they (PSM) were defending very deep.”
Eventually, it turned out to be set pieces that unlocked the PSM backline with goals arriving following corner kicks early in the second half.
The centre-backs stepped up at the other end of the pitch when it mattered the most to see CAHN over the line on a rain-soaked night during which Vietnam’s 50th Reunification Day was being celebrated.
“We could feel the energy. Our fans were amazing and the national holidays along with the Vietnamese pride on display helped us a lot,” admitted Polking.
The 49-year-old Brazilian arrived in Vietnam in May last year, after taking over from Thailand legend Kiatisuk ‘Zico’ Senamuang, and guided the club to a sixth-place finish and it is the same position they find themselves in V.League 1 this season.
However, it is in cup competitions that CAHN are showing their true mettle. The capital city side followed up reaching the Vietnamese Cup semi-final with a place in the inaugural edition of the Shopee Cup™ final.
“We are truly delighted and happy to have come this far. It’s been a great tournament for us,” recalled Polking.
“Facing the best teams in Southeast Asia and being able to beat them just shows how far we have come.”
Indeed, the Vietnamese side were the only club to win all their five group stage matches, notably beating Buriram United, Lion City Sailors and Kuala Lumpur City.
It’s been a rapid rise for CAHN, who were in the second division of Vietnamese football just three years ago and only earned promotion to V.League 1 in 2023, winning the league title in their first season back in the top flight.
Now just one match stands between the Hanoi club and their first-ever international trophy, with Buriram United or BG Pathum United set to be their opponents for the two-legged final later this month.
“They are two great teams with many great players. Both teams have a lot of Thailand national team players,” added Polking.
“It’s always a pleasure to go back to Thailand, where I spent 11 years of my life and had unforgettable memories.”
The former Thailand national team head coach, who lifted two ASEAN Championship titles will now be hoping to once again experience the highs of ASEAN football, this time at club level.
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