KUALA LUMPUR (26 Sept 2024) – Đông Á Thanh Hóa FC hold a slender lead at the top of the Group A standings in the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ on Wednesday after the Vietnamese side fought back from going two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Malaysia’s Terengganu FC.
The result keeps Velizar Popov’s side in pole position in the standings on goal difference after two rounds of matches as BG Pathum United FC defeated PKR Svay Rieng FC 2-1 in Thailand and hosts PSM Makassar secured a late 4-3 victory over visitors Shan United FC.
Thanh Hóa, BG Pathum and PSM all have four points from the first two rounds of the Shopee Cup™ group stage but Popov’s team lead due to their two-goal victory over Shan United on the opening day of the competition.
The Vietnamese were made to fight for a point at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, with Terengganu taking the lead in the 20th minute when Akhyar Rashid’s shot from distance took a slight deflection on its way past goalkeeper Trinh Xuan Hoang.
Manny Ott doubled the home side’s advantage with a shot high into the net with five minutes left in the half.
However, Luiz Antonio’s free kick halved the deficit in first half injury time and, eight minutes into the second half, the visitors equalised when Ubaidullah Shamsul sliced an attempted clearance into his own goal.
“It’s a good point for us,” said Popov. “I was expecting the first 20 minutes to be difficult because of the fatigue from the travel and exactly this happened, we didn’t start well.
“We reacted well, the players fought until the last minute. We had some good chances but I think a draw is a fair result.”
PSM sit in second after edging a seven-goal thriller at Batakan Stadium against Shan United that saw Abdul Rahman secure the three points for the Indonesians in the dying seconds.
Nermin Haljeta side-footed Yuran Fernandes’ headed knocked down home from close range to give PSM a 32nd minute lead and that advantage was doubled four minutes later when Aloisio Neto nodded in from two yards out.
Efrain Rintaro converted from six yards out deep into injury time to pull one back for the club from Myanmar but Latyr Fall restored PSM’s two-goal advantage two minutes into the second half.
Goals from Mark Sekyi and Moussa Paul Bakayoko in the 56th and 63rd minutes respectively drew Shan United level while PSM’s Fernandes missed a 78th minute penalty before Rahman eventually earned his side the win in the 91st minute with a bullet header.
At BG Stadium in Pathum Thani, Teerasil Dangda hit the winner 26 minutes from time to seal BG Pathum United’s first victory in the Shopee Cup™ as the Thai League 1 side handed Svay Rieng a 2-1 defeat.
Brazilian forward Raniel Santana gave the hosts the lead when he ran onto Shinnaphat Leeaoh’s measured ball over the top of the Svay Rieng defence before racing towards goal and striking confidently past Vireak Dara.
The Cambodians levelled in the 61st minute when Pablo thumped home a low shot via the inside of the post but BG Pathum United were back in front two minutes later as Teerasil’s deft touch directed Chanathip Songkrasin’s pass from the left over the line.
Play in Group B of the Shopee Cup™ will resume on Thursday when Buriram United FC host Kaya FC-Iloilo, Borneo FC travel to face Kuala Lumpur City FC and Công An Hà Nội FC entertain Lion City Sailors FC.
Winners of today’s Shopee Star of the Match are:
Abdul Rahman, PSM Makassar
Teerasil Dangda, BG Pathum United FC
Akhyar Rashid, Terengganu FC
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