Skipper Paulo Josue credits the strength of the collective within Kuala Lumpur City’s team that paved the way for victory over favourites Viettel FC in the AFC Cup 2022 ASEAN Zonal Semi-final last Wednesday in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Picking up from Harian Metro and The Star in the days after yet another historical milestone in the journey of this club, the Brazilian said,
“We trained really hard the past week for this (match) and we performed as a team. We did it in the end. It wasn’t our best performance against Viettel, but we were disciplined and worked hard for 120 minutes to hold them”
The 33-year old playmaker added,
“Individually, we aren’t as good as Viettel, but as a unit, a collective, we are stronger. In normal time and in extra-time, we managed to close them down and stop their play”.
The City Boys suffered for large periods in the match, and the statistics at halftime saw only 27% of ball possession, and at the end of the match it was 5 shots towards goal against the Red Tornado’s 25, but none of that mattered. Upon the expiry of 90 minutes, the scoreline remained 0-0, while extra-time failed to break the deadlock. Even the mandatory penalty lottery was tied a 4-4, before descending into the sudden death stage where Azri G. kept out Viettel’s seventh attempt by Bui Duy Thuong that sent their traveling fans (and team!) into a joyous night of partying in the Saigon streets.
Twice ASEAN level champions in 1987 and 1989, when it was known as the ASEAN Champions’ Cup, back then a part of the AFC Asian Club Championship, the City Boys will once again meet fellow group mates PSM Makassar, of Indonesia in the ASEAN Zonal Final on August 24, 2022 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, for a ticket to the Inter Zone Semi-Final against India’s Mohun Bagan.
To read the match report of Viettel vs KL City on 10/8/2022 (AFC Cup), please click COMING SOON
To watch the highlights of Viettel vs KL City on 10/8/2022 (AFC Cup), please click https://youtu.be/Pic615Sh4rY
To watch the complete match of Viettel vs KL City on 10/8/2022 (AFC Cup), please click https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup.html