FLC Thanh Hoa won at the preliminary second stage of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

FLC Thanh Hóa beat Hong Kong’s Eastern SC to advance at the AFC Champions League. — Photo foxsportsasia.com

Hoàng Đình Tùng completed his hat trick at the last minute, to help FLC Thanh Hoá beat Hong Kong’s Eastern SC 4-2.

Thanh Hoá, who finished second in the V.League last season, had to trail the hosts from the 25th minute after Michel Lugo fired Eastern into the lead with a straight finish at Mongkok Stadium.

But the visitors did not wait long to have their equaliser.

Captain Pape Omar Faye converted a penalty shoot into a goal just six minutes later. 

The second half saw Thanh Hoá’s solid performance. They created consecutive threatening chances against Eastern. Fifteen minutes after the interval, it was 3-1 for Thanh Hoá. Tùng settled two winners after he sprinted from the home area, breaking the hosts’ defense before netting accurately.

Eastern tried to fight back and they scored from the spot through Manuel Bleda Rodriguez in the 64th minute to make it 3-2.

Tùng claimed his third, and Thanh Hoá’s fourth, in stoppage time as the Vietnamese side advanced into the next round for a showdown with Suwon Samsung Bluewings on January 30 in Seoul. 

While it is the first time Thanh Hoá has won at the tournament, Suwon are two-time league winners.

The round will also feature teams of China’s Tianjin Quanian, Kashiwa Reysol of Japan and last year’s semi-finalists Shanghai SIPG FC. — VNS