Nam Dinh FC played out a thrilling draw against Tampines Rovers in their third group stage match of the AFC Champions League 2 (AFC Cup) on October 24. The match took place at 7 PM in Singapore, and despite a strong performance, Nam Dinh couldn’t secure all three points.
Following a 2-0 away win against Lee Man, Nam Dinh FC had drawn against Bangkok United in their second match. Fielding seven foreign players and one naturalized player, coach Vu Hong Viet’s squad aimed for a win to keep pace with group leaders Bangkok United.
As expected, Nam Dinh FC used their familiar strategy of fielding seven foreign players, including naturalized star Nguyen Xuan Son. The three Vietnamese players in the starting lineup were goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh, defender Nguyen Van Vi, and midfielder To Van Vu.
Nam Dinh pressed from the start, with Joseph Mpande nearly opening the scoring in the 5th minute after dispossessing a Tampines defender. Unfortunately, Mpande’s shot was blocked, and a better option could have been to pass to Nguyen Xuan Son, who was in a better position.
Shortly after this missed opportunity, Nam Dinh was punished. In the 12th minute, Tampines Rovers struck first with Shahiran’s clinical finish. The Singaporean side doubled their lead in the 26th minute through Kunori, leaving Nam Dinh trailing 0-2.
Nam Dinh struggled in the first half, conceding two goals after keeping clean sheets in their previous matches. The defense looked shaky against the lowest-ranked team in the group, but Nam Dinh showed resilience to get back into the match.
In the 33rd minute, Nguyen Xuan Son positioned himself perfectly to convert a Lucas Silva cross, reducing the deficit to 1-2. Then, just before halftime, Mpande redeemed himself by heading home the equalizer from a Hendrio Araujo assist, leveling the score at 2-2.
With a potent attacking trio of Hendrio, Mpande, and Nguyen Xuan Son, Nam Dinh pushed forward in search of a winner. However, Tampines Rovers remained organized and marked Xuan Son tightly, preventing him from combining effectively with his teammates.
Nam Dinh’s defensive lapses continued to haunt them, as Shuya headed Tampines back into the lead in the 62nd minute. Nguyen Manh misjudged the cross, and the Nam Dinh defenders failed to challenge Shuya effectively, allowing the Singaporean side to go up 3-2.
Nam Dinh once again displayed their fighting spirit and equalized in the 76th minute. Hendrio set up Nguyen Tuan Anh, who elegantly turned and curled a shot into the far corner, making it 3-3.
Despite pressing hard in the final minutes, Nam Dinh couldn’t find the winning goal, leaving Singapore with a point.
After three matches, Nam Dinh FC has 5 points, sitting in second place in the group. Bangkok United leads the group with 7 points after a 1-0 win over Lee Man. With three matches left in the group stage, Nam Dinh holds a solid position, 4 points ahead of the team in third place, and remains in contention for a spot in the next round.
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