Hanoi police let Buriram hold to a regrettable draw at Hang Day Stadium

At 7:30 p.m. tonight, Hanoi Police Club will host Buriram United (Thailand) at Hang Day Stadium in the first leg of the 2024/25 Southeast Asian Club Championship final.

This is the first time a Vietnamese representative has participated in the regional championship match, marking an important step forward for Vietnamese club football in the Southeast Asian arena. With home field advantage and the support of the capital's audience, Hanoi Police stand a chance to create an advantage before the second leg in Thailand.

The team from Thailand is the current champion of Thai League 1 and has also won the right to enter the final of the Thai FA Cup. With a quality squad and a solid international background, Buriram United is considered the biggest rival of Hanoi Police since the beginning of the tournament.

On the home team side, the return of key players such as Quang Hai, Alan or Leo Artur promises to help Hanoi Police have the strongest force for this important match. The defense with the central defender duo Viet Anh - Adriano Schmidt is also in stable form, a reliable stopper against dangerous strikers such as Supachai or Bissoli on the away team.

In the first minutes, Hanoi Police entered the game with determination and a strong pressing style of play. After many efforts, the home team opened the score in the 18th minute. In a play on the right wing, center-back Vitao accelerated strongly and crossed inside for Leo Artur to tap the ball in close range, defeating the Buriram United goalkeeper.

However, the advantage did not last long. In the 28th minute, the away team equalized 1-1 after a corner kick. Foreign player Good jumped high and headed the ball into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Nguyen Filip unable to block.

In the 35th minute, Hang Day exploded again. In a chaotic situation in front of the Buriram goal, Alan quickly finished close to the goal, helping Hanoi Police re-establish the lead 2-1.

The final minutes of the first half continued to heat up with fierce collisions. In the 40th minute, Buriram captain Theerathon Bunmathan received a yellow card after a foul on Quang Hai, and midfielder Quang Hai was also given a yellow card shortly after for a foul on Theerathon himself. The first half ended with a 2-1 advantage in favor of Hanoi Police.

In the second half, Buriram increased their attack. In the 48th minute, Supachai had his first shot but could not beat goalkeeper Filip Nguyen. Meanwhile, Hanoi police also organized many dangerous attacks. In the 55th minute, from a corner kick by Alan, the ball was hung into the penalty area but two consecutive headers by the home team players could not be converted into goals.

In the 61st minute, Alan skillfully passed Myeonseok and crossed into the penalty area, but no player from Hanoi Police could get in. Buriram also made an important personnel change when captain Theerathon left the field to make way for Phitiwat (64').

The tension peaked in the 72nd minute. Buriram pressed continuously and created at least 4 dangerous shots in just one attack. However, goalkeeper Nguyen Filip made excellent saves.

However, in the 78th minute, the visitors found an equalizer. In a lightning counter-attack, the first shot was pushed away by Nguyen Filip, but Zulj was there at the right time to head the rebound, leveling the score at 2-2 for Buriram.

In the 80th minute, Hanoi Police almost scored a third goal. Van Duc passed the ball well for Quang Hai to finish at close range, but the ball was cleared by two Buriram players right on the goal line, missing a golden opportunity to decide the match.

In the final minutes of the match, Hanoi Police continued to show their desire to win at home. In the 86th minute, young midfielder Xuan Thinh unleashed a powerful and dangerous long-range shot from outside the penalty area, forcing the Buriram goalkeeper to dive to block it. The ball bounced back, Van Thanh rushed in to kick the rebound, but the shot was not dangerous enough to defeat the away team's defense.

Despite their last-ditch efforts, neither team could make a difference in the remaining time. The first leg of the final ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Hang Day Stadium.

This result makes the second leg on May 21 at Chang Arena (Thailand) extremely unpredictable. With 2 away goals scored, Buriram United is holding a slight advantage, but Hanoi Police still have a chance to turn the situation around if they continue to show the same spirit and performance as in this match./.