Da Nang Danging
Điểu Digs It
It was probably too much to expect the reserve side to offer any comfort, and they gamely lost 2-5 to Hanoi's SHB Da Nang Fc, concluding Grilled's participation in the second edition of the unofficial Asian Champions League friendly tournament. The Division Three club had Omani youth international Abdulsalam Raed Al-Issa to thank here, as he outclassed all comers to secure Da Nang's advantage in breaking through when it mattered.
The Birds were, literally in their defence, testing out new configurations, with
Mohammad Ramli Saliman at centreback for perhaps the first time in his career. If nothing, the match would suggest that he not be considered for the position in the future, as his positioning far from made up to his vulnerability to pace; Dimitris Yiannimpas blew past him like he wasn't even there, to strike in the eighth minute.
It wouldn't be looking up after that either, as while Grilled actually possibly had the overall edge in ball retention, their lack of direction was only too evident.
Neeraj Muthyala, who was being tried out in attack, fell back far too habitually for Luis Alcántara's liking. Homgrown teenager Điểu Chi Hãn was a huge contrast, exuberantly making a beeline for goal whenever he could, and a fearless rampage in the 25th saw him nick a second past
Dan Seng.
It was 3-0 after 29 minutes with Điểu's partner Nguyễn Ưng Lô sweeping in with an on-point header, at which Grilled finally became to emerge from their shell. Muthyala began to apply himself more thoroughly and forced a corner at the flag, that
Remco van der Ban played short to
Dante Tran. An assist appeared on the cards as Tran slung it to
Chu Xin Lee in a flash of genius, but Chu hesitated, and the chance was lost.
Grilled would finally get their own back as the half wound to a close, and it would take Da Nang overextending on an attack, that was put high by Nguyễn; The ball boy helpfully gave the ball back very quickly, and
Dan Seng lumped it a long way down the left, where Chu jostled former Vietnamese U-20 player Phạm Văn Phương for it. A couple of snappy passes later, Muthyala found himself in the right place to sidefoot it in.
This kick endured through the break, and the Birds would begin to give their opponents some real worries. A flurry of meaningful movement had Jia Zuren booked for his lunge in on an increasingly-dangerous Muthyala, who underlined his growing confidence with a no-look header on for
Leong Wan Kang in the 64th. Leong was in on it, and wowed the spectators with a beautiful lob over Romanian custodian Victor Merce.
It wouldn't last, sadly, and Leong's exit for
Pompeo Bellamoli didn't help, given how he was just getting into the swing of things. Da Nang began picking up the pieces, with Al-Issa again stamping his authority, and they widened their lead once again in the 77th minute, Jia getting a flat cross in that Phạm met midway through a tremendous leap.
Da Nang would end the match with five goals, after
Moey Xin Seng's crack from outside the box rebounded mightily off the crossbar, and fed into an ardent counter down the left.
Remco van der Ban was left behind, after Nguyễn Quốc Dũng led him by the nose with some smooth hip-shuffling, and Điểu finished with aplomb.
