Who are these guys anyway: sleague.com's guide to the (other) AFC Cup sides

Cheryl Lim & Gary Koh
info@sleague.com

With the revamp of AFC club competitions, the 2009 AFC Cup has been expanded to 32 teams, with former AFC Champions League (ACL) sides joining in the action in the competition.

Home United will be Singapore’s sole representatives in the competition, and they are pooled in Group H together with Maldivian side Club Valencia, Vietnam league champions Becamex Binh Duong and Thailand kingpins Provincial Electrical Authority.

sleague.com dissects the opposition the Protectors face in their bid to progress to the latter stages.

Group H
Club Valencia (Maldives)
Founded: 1979
Home ground: Rasmee Dhandu Stadium, Malé, Maldives
Coach: Jozef Dzurjack

How they got there:
Club Valencia (not to be mistaken for the Spanish giants, in case anyone is wondering) are back for their third appearance in the AFC Cup after they won the domestic league last year for the first time since 2004.

Current form:
Not good. They have not gotten off to the best of starts in their league title defence in the 2009 season. At the time of writing, they are currently second from bottom in the eight-team competition with four games played, winning one, drawing one and losing the rest.

Star man:
Serbian centreback Sead Muratovic is likely to be the team’s most important player in their AFC Cup campaign. Formerly of Tampines Rovers, he signed for the club during the close season in 2008 after a spell in his homeland. A calming influence at the heart of their defence, the 30-year-old also brings a wealth of experience in continental football, having featured for the Stags in 2005 and 2006.

Previous encounters:
In 2004, the Protectors beat them 5-0 at Bishan and 3-0 away at Male at the group stage, en route to reaching the semi-finals that season.

How will Home United fare against them?
This will be the best opportunity for PN Sivaji’s men to get maximum points when facing the Maldivians in their quest to progress into the round of 16. While Valencia may also boast a few local internationals, their overall squad quality is inferior to that of Home’s. As long as the Protectors do not take them lightly, they will repeat what they did in 2004.

Just so you know:
Muratovic was part of the Tampines side that defeated Valencia home (1-0) and away (0-4) in 2005. He will switch over to the other side as his new employers take on Home United in the group stage. Expect no favours if he plays.

Becamex Binh Duong (Vietnam)
Founded: 2001
Home ground: Gò Đậu Stadium, Thủ Dầu Một, Vietnam
Manager: Francisco Vital

How they got there:
They qualified for the AFC Cup as domestic league champions last year. At one point they were in line for the ACL qualifying playoffs, but for reasons unexplained, they are now here instead.

Current form:
Presently 15^th in the ongoing 18-team V-League season, Binh Duong are suffering from three straight losses after opening their domestic campaign with a win.

Star man:
Vu Nhu Thanh was the pillar of strength at the heart of the defence as he helped his country win the Suzuki Cup and his club the league championship last year. A no-nonsense player, the 27-year-old uses his height to great effect in clearing headers and sweeps away any potential danger in front of him before any opposing forward can react.

How will Home United fare against them?
Although this will be the first time the Vietnamese champions are playing in the AFC Cup, they come with plenty of continental experience having featured alongside 2008 ACL runners-up Adelaide United in the group stage last year. It will be an interesting and tough call for Home since this is the first time they are facing Vietnamese opposition at club level. Much will depend on how Sivaji plays his tactics and the experienced players, especially those that were involved in the Suzuki Cup semi-final loss who would have a point to prove.

Provincial Electrical Authority (Thailand)
Founded: 1970
Home ground: Ayutthaya Stadium, Ayutthaya, Thailand (Supachalasai Stadium will be used as their home ground in the AFC Cup as their home ground does not fulfill AFC’s stringent criteria for continental competition.)
Coach: Prapol Pongpanich
Manager: Thongsuk Sampahungsith

How they got there:
They qualified as 2008 Thailand Premier League champions, but are in this competition after succumbing to Singapore Armed Forces FC 1-4 after extra time in the first East Zone playoff for the ACL this season.

Current form:
Apart from seeing their ACL hopes dashed, the Electric Men also lost their first league game of the season to Osotspa 0-1 on 7 March, and the season curtain raising Kor Royal Cup to Chonburi 0-1 earlier on. Ouch.

Star man:
Ronnachai Rangsiyo will be a handful for the Home defence. The 20-year-old Thai international forward uses his slender frame to elude defenders and positional timing to knock the ball or provide the final assist at the right place at the right time.

How will Home United fare against them?
The Thais will be fired up to show the rest of Asia what they have missed by not entering the ACL by putting in a determined show in the AFC Cup. Coming up against the Electric Men’s short-passing game, Home will need to show compactness in team shape and resilience to do an S.League double over them. A lot will also depend on their ageing but influential Brazilian playmaker Peres de Oliveira to single-handedly turn the game in the Protectors’ favour with a moment of brilliance.

Just so you know:
Apipoo Suntornpanavej has a knack of scoring against Singapore clubs. He netted a hat-trick against Tampines Rovers in Osotspa’s 3-0 win in 2006 and scored the opening goal for his present club in their ACL playoff loss to SAFFC earlier this year. With Home looming in the group stage, will they be the 23-year-old winger’s next victim? Lionel Lewis would hope not.