Football 

Thanh Hóa players (in yellow) during their ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup's Group A match on February 5. Thanh Hóa lost 3-0 and are ousted from the tournament. VNS Photo Thế Mai

HÀ NỘI — Đông Á Thanh Hóa FC are out of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup after losing 3-0 to PSM Makassar of Indonesia on February 6 in Bali.

Makassar finished second in Group A and qualified for the semi-finals, while Thanh Hóa dropped to fifth place after five matches.

It was Thanh Hóa who dominated in terms of possession, but Makassar gave little away at the back and gradually grew into the game, before having the first big opportunity in the 33rd minute.

A mix-up at the back between Thanh Hóa goalkeeper Trịnh Xuân Hoàng and left-back Đinh Viết Tú allowed Victor Dethan to steal the ball, breaking at pace towards the right before cutting the ball back for the unmarked Daisuke Sakai, who missed a gilt-edged chance by side-footing wide from 11 metres.

Thanh Hóa had a sight on goal themselves five minutes before half time, when Yago Ramos burst through the middle with purpose and slipped the ball right to A Mít,  whose first-time cross was volleyed high and wide by Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ.

The Vietnamese side then missed a glaring opportunity just moments later, when Nguyễn Thái Sơn sprung the offside trap to race on to a through ball down the inside left channel, only to miscue his attempt wide of the mark with only goalkeeper Reza Arya Pratama to beat.

However, it was another terrible error at the back that handed the hosts the lead in first-half stoppage time. Hoàng dawdled on the ball for too long and was robbed by Syahrul Lasinari on the edge of the area. He poked it to Sakai, who calmly rounded the scrambling goalkeeper before tucking into the empty net to give his side the lead.

Just a minute into the second half, Bernardo Tavares’ side doubled their advantage following a fine flowing move. Midfielder Ananda Raehan played a lovely ball to the left touchline for the advancing Victor Luiz, whose low cross was tucked home by Nermin Haljeta for his third goal of the campaign.

Hoàng kept the visitors’ slim chances of a comeback alive by denying Dethan with an excellent low save just before the hour, after the winger had raced from inside his own half into the Thanh Hóa penalty area.

Mỹ had a goal ruled out for offside soon after as Velizar Popov’s side sought a way back into the game, but Haljeta then killed off the contest with 15 minutes to play by netting Makassar’s third.

The Slovenian forward received the ball in his own half, turned and chipped a nice pass to substitute Rizky Eka Pratama on the left, before advancing forward into the opposition penalty area and receiving the ball back from the same player, taking one touch and firing into the back of the net.

Tavares’ night ended on a sour note as he was shown red after an altercation with the referee towards the end of the game, but his side comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to ensure they will return for the semi-final against Group B winners Hà Nội Police FC in April.  VNS