Daejeon Hana Citizen (Daejeon) defeated Hanoi-based Viettel FC to win the final of the Vietnam Investment Development Bank (BIDV) Invitational Hana Play Cup 2024.
Daejeon, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, came from behind to defeat Viettel 2-1 in the final of the 2024 BIDV Invitational Hana Play Cup at Hang Dai Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday to become the tournament champions.
Daejeon came out with a 4-4-2 formation. Gong Min-hyun was up front, with Kim Seung-dae moving more freely to support the attack. Lee Hyun-sik and Kim In-gyun flanked the left and right flanks, while Joo Se-jong and Kim Han-seo guarded the midfield. The back four was composed of Park Jin-sung, Kim Hyun-woo, Cho Yoo-min, and Kang Yoon-sung, with Lee Chang-geun in goal.
Daejeon capitalized on its possession early in the game to get at the opponent’s goal. In the seventh minute, Joo Sae-jong made the opposing defense nervous with a sharp corner kick, but it didn’t result in a meaningful shot. Viettel wasn’t going to be denied. They pressured Daejeon in the midfield and created a few good chances by switching attacks with concise passes.
Daejeon regained the lead midway through the first half when Kim Seung-dae, who scored the game-winner against Bali United in the first leg, flashed. Kim sent in an exquisite pass from near the arc in the 22nd minute that failed to connect with Gong Oh-gyun, and a minute later, Kim rattled Viettel’s net with a shot from a ball that was flicked forward by Kim Han-seo, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Daejeon continued to knock on Viettel’s goal. In the 40th minute, Kim Han-seo used his speed to slip between two defenders and get into the box, and shortly afterward, Kang Yoon-sung connected with a powerful mid-range shot from a loose ball on a corner kick. Even though it was a friendly, the players gave 100% like professionals, which led to a nervous battle between Cho Yoo-min and Nam Mandong just before the end of the first half.
Daejeon made a change at the start of the second half, removing Kim Han-seo and introducing Kim Jun-bum. In the ninth minute of the second half, Kim Jun-bum quickly switched to attack and sent a forward pass to Kim Seung-dae. As the goal remained elusive, Daejeon used two substitutions in the 10th minute, removing Gong Oh-gyun and Joo Sae-jong and introducing Leandro and Lim Yoo-seok.
After that, Daejeon raised the entire lineup to attack. In the 20th minute, Leandro sent a cross from the side to Munjeon, but it was not connected to Kim Seung-dae. Gilcera Viettel responded with a powerful shot from inside the box.
It was Viettel who broke the tense balance. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Kong Phuong took the lead with an accurate shot from the front of the arc. However, Daejeon quickly equalized when Leandro slid in a ball from Kim In-gyun. The atmosphere on the field heated up as both teams exchanged goals.
Daejeon conceded a penalty kick in the 28th minute of the second half, but Lee Chang-geun pulled off a super save to keep the team in the game. Another chance came soon after. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Leandro cut into the center of the field and shot the ball over the goalkeeper. Daejeon held on to the one-goal lead and eventually became the champions of the 2024 BIDV Invitational Hana Play Cup.