In a crucial final group stage match of the Asean Clubs Championship 2024-2025, Thanh Hoa faced Indonesia’s PSM Makassar on the evening of February 5 in a must-win encounter. Entering the game, Thanh Hoa found themselves in a do-or-die situation, needing a victory to secure a place in the knockout rounds. Determined to overturn the odds, the team pushed forward from the opening whistle, playing aggressively in an effort to control the game early on. For primary school students, “aggressively” means playing very hard and trying to score quickly.
From the start, Thanh Hoa deployed an attacking strategy, moving their players high up the field to dominate the play. Meanwhile, PSM Makassar, playing on home ground, adopted a more cautious approach by retreating into defense and waiting patiently for counterattacking opportunities. In the opening 15 minutes, Thanh Hoa created several promising chances, but their finishing—the act of taking accurate shots on goal—lacked precision. After the 20th minute, the Indonesian side gradually increased the pace of the match, generating opportunities that forced Thanh Hoa’s defenders to work overtime to hold their line.
As the first half drew to a close, the pressure began to show on Thanh Hoa’s defensive line. In injury time at the 45+3 minute mark, goalkeeper Xuan Hoang made a rare error with his foot, failing to clear the ball properly. This mishap allowed the opposition to seize the moment, as the ball quickly reached Sakai, a Japanese player for PSM Makassar. Sakai capitalized on the lapse, calmly slotting the ball into an empty net and giving Makassar a 1-0 lead as the half ended.
The second half saw PSM Makassar continue to build on their advantage. Almost immediately after the restart, they launched a methodical attack on the left flank, exploiting the space created by the substitute Ha Chau Phi. A well-placed cross from Victor Luiz found Haljeta, who finished with clinical accuracy to double the lead to 2-0. Thanh Hoa then tried to mount a comeback, relentlessly pressing forward and winning several corner kicks, though none translated into clear scoring opportunities. In the 59th minute, Ngoc My managed a sharp strike from a counterattack, sending the ball toward the goal. However, the referee disallowed the goal because Yago Ramos had been offside—a situation where a player is too far forward when the ball is passed, which is not allowed.
The decisive moment came in the 76th minute when another quick counterattack from PSM Makassar resulted in Haljeta scoring his second goal, bringing the score to 3-0. With the final whistle, Thanh Hoa’s hopes of advancing in the tournament were dashed. Despite their determined and high-spirited efforts, the disciplined performance of PSM Makassar proved too strong, marking the end of Thanh Hoa’s campaign in the Southeast Asia Clubs Championship Cup 2024-2025.
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