After seven months of action, the 2019 AFC Cup has come down to the penultimate hurdle for the teams from the Central, South, ASEAN and East Asia regions: the Inter-Zone Final.
Hanoi FC, the ASEAN Zonal champions, will face off against East Zonal winners 4.25 SC to decide who will go on to face the West Zonal winners at the 2019 AFC Cup Final on November 2.
We take a look back at how they made it this far.
Group Stage
Group F: Hanoi FC vs Naga World
Drawn in Group F with Singapore's Tampines Rovers, Yangon United of Myanmar and Cambodian side Nagaworld, Hanoi FC began their 2019 AFC Cup campaign in the most explosive fashion possible with a 10-0 win over Nagaworld.
The Vietnamese side were unable to hit those heights in the next two subsequent ties, though, drawing away at Tampines and stunned 1-0 at home by Yangon.
The team responded on Matchday Four, however, as Hanoi FC scored 12 times in their next three games. A 5-2 away win at Yangon was followed by a 5-1 victory at Nagaworld, before a 2-0 win at home against Tampines secured pole position in the group.
Group I: Hang Yuan FC vs 4.25 SC
Having reached the Inter-Zone Final last year, DPR Korea side 4.25 SC were determined to at least match that in their third appearance in the AFC Cup, starting with emerging East Zonal winners for the third consecutive year.
The Koreans began it in the best possible fashion with a convincing 3-0 win at Hang Yuen of Chinese Taipei on Matchday One. A 2-0 win in their home opener against Hong Kong's Kitchee SC kept the momentum going before they overcame a tough Wofoo Tai Po 3-1 at Mong Kok Stadium.
The return meeting with Tai Po was a far more convincing 4-0 win to effectively confirm 4.25 SC as Group I winners, before a 5-0 win over Hang Yuen at Kim Il-sung Stadium made it five wins in a row. They did, though, sign off their Group Stage campaign with a surprise 1-0 defeat away at Kitchee SC.
Knockout Rounds
ASEAN Zonal Semi-finals: Hanoi FC v Ceres Negros FC
Paired with 2017 ASEAN Zonal champions Ceres Negros in the ASEAN Zonal semi-finals, Hanoi FC produced a fine performance to eliminate the Filipino champions after a 1-1 draw at Bacolod City was followed up with a 2-1 win at Hang Day Stadium.
That result meant it would be an all-Vietnam ASEAN Zonal Final as they faced Becamex Binh Duong over two legs. Hanoi FC produced a professional showing to edge out their compatriots 2-0 on aggregate with a pair of 1-0 wins thanks to goals from Pape Omar Faye and Nguyen Van Quyet.
It was a very different opponent that they would next face in the Inter-Zone Semi-final, however, in 2018 finalists and Central Zonal champions Altyn Asyr.
Inter-Zone S-final 1st Leg: Hanoi FC v Altyn Asyr FC
An exciting first leg in Hanoi saw the hosts edge a five-goal thriller 3-2 as Vietnam star Nguyen Quang Hai rose to the occasion with a pair of spectacular strikes.
In the return meeting in Ashgabat, the sides could not be separated, sharing a 2-2 scoreline which saw Hanoi FC progress to the Inter-Zone Final.
Meanwhile, 4.25 SC were not to be out-done by the fireworks in Vietnam and Turkmenistan as they took part in a pair of enthralling matches against South Zonal champions Abahani Limited Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Inter-Zone S-final 1st Leg: Abahani Limited Dhaka vs 4.25 SC
After a goalless 30 minutes at Bangabandhu National Stadium, the first leg exploded into life with a flurry of seven goals in under an hour. Hosts Abahani edged it 4-3, but in the return meeting in Pyonygang it was 4.25 who came out on top with a 2-0 win for a 5-4 aggregate victory.
As a result, 4.25 SC return to the Inter-Zone Final for the second consecutive year. Having lost to Altyn Asyr at this stage in the 2018 edition, the DPR Korea side will be looking to go one better and reach the competition's climax.
For Hanoi FC, it's unprecedented territory as they have already gone further than any other Vietnamese side so far. Could they take a big step towards becoming just the second ASEAN team to win the AFC Cup since its inauguration in 2004?
