AFC CUP ZONAL SEMIS; Silva: I think it will be a difficult game

ALVARO SILVA is no stranger to Zonal semifinal opponents in Hanoi FC. The Ceres defender once donned the purple and white a couple of years ago in the Vietnamese capital.

“I’m very happy to see my former team,” said the Philippine international. “I think its en exciting because I played there two years ago and I’m just happy to see my friends again.”

Silva and company will battle the Vietnamese champions in the first leg of the semifinal today, June 18, 2019, in Bacolod with the return leg at the Hang Day stadium in Hanoi on June 25.

The reunion may be a good one at first but the Ceres-Negros centerback is well aware of the dangers his former teammates can produce in their clash in the ASEAN semis.

“I think it will be a difficult game. You know they have a very good team. They have six to seven National team players of Vietnam and their foreign players like Moses, Oseni, and Omar Pape,” said the former Cadiz player.

The Filipino centerback holds the opponents in high respect and considers them as worthy adversaries in the semifinal tie. He knows that it will be very close once they meet on the first leg in Panaad.

“They all have good qualities and I think we will be equal. I think we have fifty-fifty chance to go into the zonal final and we will see what happens. If we do everything good, I think we will have a good chance to go to the zonal final,” he added.