AFC Champions League 2: Hong Kong’s Lee Man put in performance worthy of second tier
Goals from Brazilians Rafaelson and Silva hand Vietnam side Nam Dinh points at Mong Kok Stadium
Lee Man are already on the back foot in their AFC Champions League Two campaign after losing their opening match 2-0 against Nam Dinh on Wednesday night.
The defeat caps a miserable five days for the Hong Kong champions, who lost a 29-match unbeaten league run at Tai Po on Saturday. Bangkok United’s 4-2 victory over Tampines Rovers in the other Group G fixture left Lee Man three points behind the top two.
Asian football overlords have revamped their club competitions this season, with neither the champions of Hong Kong, nor their Vietnamese counterparts, granted entry to the blue riband AFC Champions League Elite tournament.
And, for large parts, this was a fragmented, ordinary contest at Mong Kok Stadium that deserved its second-tier billing.
Lee Man’s concession of the opening goal after 27 minutes served as a case in point. Centre-back Kim Min-kyu surrendered possession on halfway, after turning infield to play a blind pass.
Nam Dinh’s three Brazilian front runners, Rafaelson, Hendrio and Lucas Silva delivered most of the quality on show, and Kim’s lapse invited the trio to combine to lethal effect.
