Substitute striker Duc Thien (2nd, R) of Binh Duong finds the net to double the score for the home team Tuesday in an AFC Cup qualifying round match against Home United of Singapore

V-League defending champions Binh Duong Tuesday scored a 2-0 home victory over Singapore’s Home United at the Go Dau Stadium in a first round match of the Asian Football Confederation Cup.

Binh Duong is now at the top of Group H with 10 points, the same as second-placed PEA of Thailand, who defeated the Maldivian club Valencia 4-1 Tuesday. Binh Duong and PEA are a point clear of Home United.

The Vietnamese club will advance to the second round of the tournament if it doesn’t concede more than three goals in the final group match against Valencia on May 19.

However, it is likely that the club will advance because Valencia has the weakest squad in the group, having lost all five of their matches, including a 0-3 loss to Binh Duong in the first leg.

Most importantly, the win over Home United puts Binh Duong at the top of the group to line up a knockout match against the second-placed team of Group G in the second round of the tournament on June 23.

In the absence of Helio, Quang Thanh and Hoang Vuong, Binh Duong was not fielding its strongest team Tuesday, and were slow off the blocks.

Attacks by the home team came mostly from midfielder Vu Phong, but didn’t put much pressure on the visitors, whose defenders played with intense focus in front of their goalkeeper, Lewis. They succeeded in keeping strikers Huynh Kesley and Philani at bay.

However, Binh Duong showed a different face in the second half. Coach Nguyen Minh Dung sent young striker Duc Thien in to strengthen the front line.

The 63rd minute was the turning point of the match when a blistering strike by Brazilian Vietnamese Kesley found the net after Home United defender Velery failed to stop a Vu Phong cross from the right flank.

After the goal, Binh Duong played even better, causing a lot of trouble for the visitors from Singapore even as the latter tried hard to score the equalizer. All their efforts were thwarted by some tough defending managed by Vietnam’s 2008 Silver Ball winner Vu Nhu Thanh and goalkeeper The Anh.

As Home United focused on attacking, their defenders left Vu Phong unmarked and the midfielder made a neat pass to Kesley in the penalty area. Kesley’s heel kick deflected off the foot of a Home United defender only for substitute Duc Thien to pounce on it and send the ball to the back of the net.

Speaking after the match, Binh Duong coach Dung said, “We are very happy to have the chance to become Vietnam’s first club to advance to the AFC Cup second round.

“This win is very meaningful for Binh Duong and Vietnamese football on the international stage. We will make every effort to beat Valencia in the final round of the tournament to win the top spot of the group.”

In other matches Tuesday, Hanoi ACB of Vietnam were thrashed 0-6 by Kedah of Malaysia to become the first club in Group G to bow out while Hong Kong’s Eastern beat Thailand’s Chonburi 2-1. Chonburi tops the group, so Eastern and Kedah will fight for the second place in the group.

Reported by Quang Huy