Football

HCM City team coaches and players seen before their training session in South Korea. The national champions will play in Group C of the AFC Women’s Club Championship on October 6-12. Photo of VFF

HCM CITY — HCM City FC will play hard to get through to the next stage for their first time taking part in the AFC Women’s Champions League. The team are in Group C, with matches running from October 6 to 12 at HCM City's Thống Nhất Stadium.

Having clinched the title on their AFC Women’s Club Championship debut last year, Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies have their sights set on back-to-back continental crowns.

The Japanese side, champions of the last two domestic league seasons and currently two games into the 2024-25 campaign, will face Odisha FC at 3pm on Sunday.

Established in 2022, their Indian opponents have enjoyed a swift ascent, becoming the fifth different domestic league winner in 2023-24 with their first title, before following it up with a stellar Preliminary Stage campaign.

HCM City then kick off their new season at 7pm, having claimed the 2024 domestic league title in August – their sixth in a row and record 13th overall.

The Vietnamese outfit will welcome Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team, who gained continental experience from their participation in the AFC Women’s Club Championship in 2022.

The visitors won their fifth Chinese Taipei domestic league crown in 2023 and sit second after 10 games into the current edition, which began in April.

In preparation for the tournament, HCM City signed contracts with three foreign players and have just returned home from a three-week training course in South Korea to sharpen their technique and tactics. During this time, they had three friendly matches with local clubs and claimed two wins and one defeat.

"HCM City have strengthened their power with national best striker Huỳnh Như and three international players, but I believe that there will be tough matches at the AFC event," said coach Đoàn Thị Kim Chi.

"We will have to give our best every match and advance to the next stage."

American midfielder Tatiana Mason, defender Talani Barnet and striker Medhan Callahan integrate well with the new team and have proven their ability after several weeks of training, while the whole team have tried to fix their weak points and improve their scoring skills.

Midfielder Tatiana Mason (centre) is one of three foreign players in HCM City's squad to compete at the AFC Champions League. VNS Photo Anh Phương

Chi said that she added some young faces to the team for the tournament.

"They are young and lack of experience. We provided video clips of these teams to them and they will be supported by the seniors. We hope that in their first international tournament they will overcome pressure and play well," she said.

The former national striker said that in Group C, Urawa Red are the strongest side. They are favourites to win not only Group C but also the tournament.

Taichung have added some Thai and Japanese players for the event, while Odisha are home to many national team members along with six foreign players. Both are also difficult opponents for HCM City.

"Playing on home ground is definitely an advantage for HCM City. I hope that supporters will come and cheer for us in our first AFC Champions League tournament. They would make us more confident and determined to win," Chi said.

Following the group stage of 12 teams divided into three groups, the top two finishers of each group and the two best third-placed sides progress to the quarter-finals.

Scheduled for March 22 to 23, the four pairings will be determined by a knockout stage draw.

The semi-finals and final – all single-leg ties – will be played in a centralised format from May 21 to 24 to crown the first ever AFC Women’s Champions League winners, who can expect at least US$1.3 million in prize money. VNS