Quang Hai inspires Hanoi to narrow home win over Altyn Asyr

ABO/NDO – Star man Nguyen Quang Hai scored a brace to help hosts Hanoi FC beat Altyn Asyr 3-2 during their AFC Cup 2019 inter-zone semi-final first leg at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium on August 20.

Quang Hai (C) scores an important brace to earn Hanoi FC a 3-2 win over visitors Altyn Asyr in their AFC Cup 2019 inter-zone semi-final first leg at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium on Tuesday night. (Photo: NDO/Tran Hai)

Quang Hai’s superb free kick in the 41st minute cancelled Myrat Yagsyyew’s opener in the fourth minute for the Turkmenistan champions. Hai put his team ahead on the one hour mark, thanks to another cool left-footed finish inside the box, but Altymyrat Annadurdyyew soon restore the balance for the visitors only two minutes later.

Hanoi won a penalty late in the second half and Nguyen Van Quyet made no mistake from the spot to seal the 3-2 win for the hosts. The Vietnamese champions will take this crucial lead into next week's second leg in Ashgabat on August 27.

Despite facing last year’s runners-up in the inter-zone semis, Hanoi were still determined to create history this season. Under the cheer of their home fans, the reigning V.League champions dominated the game from the start.

Hanoi FC’s starting XI for their AFC Cup 2019 inter-zone semi-final first leg against Altyn Asyr. (Photo: NDO/Tran Hai)

Altyn Asyr’s starting XI for their AFC Cup 2019 inter-zone semi-final first leg against hosts Hanoi. (Photo: NDO/Tran Hai)

However, midfielder Duc Huy’s wrong pass on their half sent the ball to the visitors and they quickly launched a counter-attack. Yagsyyew beat the offside trap before giving keeper Nguyen Van Cong with no chance to deny his finish.

Hanoi strengthened attacks for an equaliser and they were close in the 23rd minute when Pape Omar Faye met Quang Hai’s long ball with a header, but he was unlucky as the ball hit the bar, before Papa Ibou Kebe’s follow-up effort also was denied by the woodwork.

However, Quang Hai showed his class four minutes before the break with a superb free kick, curling a left-footed effort that forced keeper Mammet Orazmuhammedow to be rooted.

Hanoi entered the second half with great determination and again had a dominant performance over the visitors like in the first 45 minutes. Hai struck again in the 61st minute as he run inside the box before curling a left-footer into the top corner to give Hanoi a 2-1 lead.

The hosts’ celebration lasted just only two minutes as another sloppy play at the back saw them drop the lead. Van Dung gave the ball away cheaply to help the visitors launch a counter-attack. Yagsyyew’s through ball then was clinically finished by Annadurdyyew to bring the visitors their second goal.

Hanoi wasted no time to regret as they constantly attacked with dozens of good opportunities. Hung Dung, Van Dai and Moses continuously tried their luck, but it was until the 86th minute as Hung Dung won a penalty for the hosts after being brought down in the box by Orazmuhammedow.

Substitute Van Quyet stepped up to take the penalty and put it away emphatically to restore Hanoi's lead with just two minutes remaining.

It was too little too late for the guests to salvage a point in Hanoi tonight as they suffered a 3-2 loss to the Vietnamese side. Hanoi become the first ASEAN side to win a match in the inter-zone since the introduction of the tournament’s current format in 2017. They will take the crucial lead to Ashgabat for the second leg next week but still have plenty of work to do after having conceded two away goals.

The winners of the two-legged tie will progress to the Inter-Zone Play-Off Final where they will face the winners of the other inter-zone semi-final between Bangladesh’s Abahani Dhaka and DPR Korea’s April 25 SC.