Coach Polking: CAHN Club is capable of winning the match.
Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) achieved a historic victory in the AFC Champions League Elite group stage by defeating Shanghai Port FC away from home in the third matchday. Not only did they make their mark, but coach Alexandre Polking’s team also opened the door to advancing to the next round.
After 3 matches, CAHN FC has 3 points, just 1 point behind 8th place (the last spot in the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16). If they win against Kyoto Sanga in tomorrow’s match (November 3rd) in the fourth round at Hang Day Stadium, CAHN FC will move closer to becoming the first Vietnamese club to reach the knockout round of the AFC Champions League.
Coach Polking affirmed: “The match against Sanga is a big game for CAHN Club. We’ve kept our dream alive after the victory against Shanghai Port. CAHN Club wants to participate in the knockout round of the AFC Champions League Elite. The whole team must strive their best for this achievement. In our last home game, CAHN played well against Kashima. We must continue to play well against Kyoto Sanga to give a gift to the fans.”
Coach Alexandre Polking wants his players to give their all in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Speaking about the physical condition of CAHN FC after the recent intense schedule of matches (3 matches in 10 days), Coach Polking said: “We had a day off after the match against SLNA. Some players need more time to recover and regain their fitness. Today, CAHN FC will have one training session. Hopefully, we will have the best possible squad. Sanga also has a similar problem, as they had to fly a very long distance from Japan after completing their J-League match. Hopefully, with the support of the fans, the team will have a good game.”
The Brazilian strategist further assessed: “We have a very difficult schedule, having to face five Japanese teams. The J-League is the top-tier national league in Asia. Japanese football is also very strong. Kyoto Sanga has over 100 years of history in the J-League, the oldest currently, so this team is formidable even though they don’t have a good ranking in the national league. Sanga has many foreign players, mostly from Brazil (9 players), and a balanced squad between domestic and foreign players. The match against Sanga will be very difficult, but we really have nothing to lose in the AFC Champions League Elite. The whole team will fight with all their might.”
Defender Le Van Do shared that CAHN Club must learn to maintain focus in big matches, minimizing moments of distraction like those shown against Kashima in their most recent match at Hang Day Stadium.
The match against Kashima helped CAHN Club (in red jerseys) gain a better understanding of J-League teams.
“We must remember this lesson well. Only then will CAHN Club have any hope of earning points in this match,” Van Do answered a question from Thanh Nien Newspaper about his experience before the crucial match against Kyoto Sanga.
Japanese coach: ‘It won’t be easy to get points against CAHN Club’
On the other side of the pitch, Kyoto Sanga’s coach Rando Popovic commented: “I can’t share the specifics of Sanga’s preparation process because I’m afraid that if I do, Coach Polking will know everything. Coach Polking has coached and left his mark in Thailand . I know that. The tactics are something I only discuss with my players.”
However, the club has worked hard towards this match. Sanga will play its best. As everyone has seen, we are gradually improving with each game. Sanga’s goal is to win against CAHN Club.”
Thanh Nien newspaper asked coach Popovic: “Kashima’s coach (Toru Oniki) once said it would be very difficult to win at Hanoi FC’s Hang Day Stadium. What do you think?”
Coach Popovic replied: “The Kashima coach is my friend. He’s right, beating CAHN FC at their home ground is a difficult task, but not impossible. Sanga will try their best in this match. I agree that Sanga’s ranking in the J-League isn’t good (14th), but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost form. Sanga is playing better with each game. I don’t want to say too much; as for what we can do against CAHN FC, just wait for tomorrow’s match. Come to the stadium and see how we play.”
CAHN Club has a highly unpredictable attacking line.
I always tell the players that external factors are less important than their attitude. Sanga can’t influence external factors like the weather or the pitch. We can only say we will try our best. The 11 players Sanga starts tomorrow will be the 11 best players.”
Meanwhile, Kyoto Sanga midfielder Ryuma Nakano asserted that CAHN FC has a strong attack, with many fast and skilled players.
“We have to try to defend well and close the gaps. The weather in Hanoi is hot and humid, very different from Japan, but actually, summer in Japan is just as hot. The whole Sanga team feels uncomfortable with these climatic conditions, but this is not an excuse. Sanga will try to win this match,” the midfielder born in 2002 assessed.
AloJapan.com