Tampines Rovers coach: The 0-4 defeat against CAHN was not unexpected.
Following the heavy defeat at Hang Day Stadium, coach Mohamed Noh Rahman acknowledged the superior strength of Hanoi Police FC and praised the depth of their squad.
Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) once again asserted their dominance over Tampines Rovers with a 4-0 victory in the AFC Champions League Two match held on the evening of February 11th at Hang Day Stadium. This marks the second consecutive heavy defeat for the Singaporean team against the police force, following their previous 1-6 loss in the Southeast Asian Club Championship.
The Vietnamese representatives dominated the match.
Despite their experience from the previous encounter, Tampines Rovers were unable to withstand the pressure from the home team. The 4-0 scoreline accurately reflected the match's dynamics, with CAHN completely controlling the tempo and exploiting weaknesses in the opposing defense. This defeat makes the chances of the team from the island nation advancing narrower than ever.
A rare bright spot for Tampines Rovers
Despite the unfavorable result, coach Mohamed Noh Rahman still found positive signs in his players' performance, especially in the second half. The Tampines Rovers manager noted that the team showed their identity and created clear scoring opportunities, although they were unable to capitalize on them.
"We played much better in the second half and showed our true identity. The team created clear chances but unfortunately couldn't convert them into goals," Rahman shared regretfully at the press conference. He also emphasized that a goal to reduce the deficit could have completely changed the players' mentality for the second leg.
Admiration for the collective strength of CAHN
Notably, the head coach of Tampines Rovers was not surprised by the match's outcome. He showed great respect for the opponent's professional quality, assessing CAHN as a team with impressive depth and consistency across all positions.
Specifically, the strategist stated: "At the level of the round of 16, there are no easy challenges. What impressed me most about our opponent wasn't the brilliance of a few individual players, but the consistent quality of the entire squad. They are truly a unified force that is very difficult to beat."
This defeat provides a major lesson for Tampines Rovers regarding finishing ability and defensive concentration. The entire team will have about a week to adjust tactics and improve performance before the decisive second leg match on February 18th.
