
On the evening of October 9 at Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City FC secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Odisha FC (India) in the second round of Group C at the AFC Women’s Champions League (2024-2025). In this match, Huynh Nhu once again shone brightly, contributing significantly to two of her team’s goals. The striker from Tra Vinh assisted Kim Yen in scoring the opening goal in the 1st minute before doubling the lead with her own goal in the 43rd minute.
Thanks to her outstanding performance, Huynh Nhu was named Player of the Match. However, she was unable to attend the post-match press conference as she was randomly selected for a doping test immediately after the game. This process is part of standard tournament protocol, ensuring fair play and preventing the use of performance-enhancing substances.
Evaluating the match, head coach Nguyen Hong Pham commented: “The waterlogged pitch affected Ho Chi Minh City FC’s usual style of play, but our goal was to secure three points against Odisha FC, and we achieved that.” In addition to being pleased with the result, Pham was also relieved that none of his players sustained injuries during the game.
From the opposite perspective, Odisha FC head coach Crispin Chettri reflected on the outcome, stating: “Compared to our first match (a 0-17 loss to Urawa Red Diamonds), achieving this result against Ho Chi Minh City FC is encouraging. We didn’t play well in the first half, but the second half was much better. I am satisfied with the fighting spirit and determination of my players. As I mentioned earlier, the score is not the most important thing—what matters is that we improve together as a team.”
With six points from two consecutive wins in the group stage, Ho Chi Minh City FC has already secured a place in the quarterfinals of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2024-2025. Looking ahead to the final group stage match against the formidable Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds, Pham stated: “From the beginning, our objective has always been to showcase the true capability of our team and individual players in every match. In the upcoming game against the Japanese side, we are not focused on vying for the top spot in the group but rather on showing our quality as a team.”
After two rounds of matches, Urawa Red Diamonds have also advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating Odisha FC 17-0 and Taichung Blue Whale 2-0.
In the final match of Group C, Ho Chi Minh City FC will face Urawa Red Diamonds at 7:00 PM on October 12 at Thong Nhat Stadium. This game will determine which team will top the group. Earlier that day, at 3:00 PM, Taichung Blue Whale will take on Odisha FC.
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