Here are five talking points from the weekend’s V.League action.
1. Ho Chi Minh City reclaim top spot from Hanoi FC
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HCM City players celebrate Thanh Binh’s equaliser.
HCM City came from behind to beat Sanna Khanh Hoa BVN 2-1 to regain top spot from defending champions Hanoi FC, who needed Thanh Chung’s 95th-minute goal to secure a struggling 2-2 draw at Becamex Binh Duong.
With the victory, manager Chung Hae-seong’s side continue to demonstrate stable form and extend their fairytale run this season (six wins and one draw in eight matches), while proving themselves as the toughest challenge to Hanoi FC’s ambition to defend their V.League trophy.
The strong emergence of HCM City promises to make the upcoming stage of the 2019 V.League title race more exciting and unpredictable.
2. Thanh Hoa FC’s winless run ended
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Thanh Hoa players celebrate their first win of the 2019 V.League season.
After a desperate run of draws and losses in 2019 V.League, Thanh Hoa FC eventually tasted victory for the first time by narrowly beating out-of-form Quang Nam FC 3-2 on Monday.
Nguyen Duc Thang’s troops demonstrated huge determination throughout the whole match and fought with more than 100% of their fitness in order to bag the full three points.
The victory is of great significance in helping to relieve pressure from the Thanh Hoa players, thus boosting their confidence for the upcoming stage of the title race.
3. Referee saves Binh Duong player from critical condition after head collision
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Referee Ngo Duy Lan puts his hand into Thien Duc’s mouth to prevent him from swallowing his tongue.
The Hanoi FC-Becamex Binh Duong clash saw a strong head collision between Hanoi forward Pape Omar and Binh Duong defender Nguyen Hung Thien Duc. The unexpected incident forced Thien Duc to lose consciousness with his eyes rolling back. Hanoi captain Thanh Luong and referee Ngo Duy Lan immediately rushed to administer first aid for the player.
Seeing Thien Duc pose a sign of swallowing his tongue, referee Ngo Duy Lan patiently put his hand into the player’s mouth to avoid the worst possible case. The referee’s quick response received high appreciation and praise from both experts and football fans.
4. Hoang Anh Gia Lai show positive signs under their new manager
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Hoang Anh Gia Lai (in white) have achieved one draw and one win under the dynasty of manager Lee Tae-hoon.
After the regrettable draw against Thanh Hoa in the previous matchday, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) continued to provide good news to the local fans by beating Nam Dinh FC with two unanswered goals last weekend.
Alongside the two goals scored from harmonious combination situations, HAGL’s defence also displayed greater resilience with good mutual support between the players and few blanks exposed. This is the initial outcome of the efforts made by newly appointed manager Lee Tae-hoon to improve the team’s defensive capabilities.
Keeping a clean sheet against Nam Dinh FC is a positive signal that the Republic of Korea tactician has brought to the Gia Lai supporters.
5. “Tear” of SHB Da Nang manager Le Huynh Duc
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SHB Da Nang manager Le Huynh Duc gestures during the match.
As the final whistle at Hoa Xuan stadium resounded signaling a narrow 1-0 win for SHB Da Nang against Quang Ninh Coal. Inside the technical area, Da Nang manager Le Huynh Duc secretly used his hand to remove tears and turned inside to avoid the camera lenses.
Meanwhile, SHB Da Nang’s pillars, namely Do Merlo, Nguyen Thanh Hai and Hoang Minh Tam, who scored the solitary goal of the match, fell down on the field after 90 minutes of optimal efforts.
Those strong emotions came from the first win for the Da Nang team following their poor seven-game run of only draws and losses in all arenas.
Nonetheless, manager Le Huynh Duc and his players still have a lot of work to do, especially as they are currently in a crisis of forwards.
