Hanoi FC crowned V.League champions with two games in hand

Hanoi FC edged past Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) 1-0 in their Matchday 24 meeting, on September 19, to officially clinch the overall V.League trophy in style despite having two more matches to go.

Hanoi FC's Duy Manh (in blue) and Song Lam Nghe An's Vinicius in action during the match.
Hanoi FC's Duy Manh (in blue) and Song Lam Nghe An's Vinicius in action during the match.

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Chu Dinh Nghiem’s troops travelled to Vinh Stadium knowing that a win would allow them to successfully defend their V.League title and turn focus on the remaining two fronts, the AFC Cup and the National Cup.

Hanoi FC played offensively right from the first whistle, with Quang Hai forcing keeper Nguyen Manh to parry a powerful low shot after 15 minutes.

The favourite midfielder produced another threat 13 minutes later from a set-piece outside the box, but still failed to beat the SLNA goalie, who continued to play with high concentration.

In the second half, the two teams had retaliatory attacks towards each other’s side seeking to break the deadlock. Yet, few clear-cut opportunities were created due to the solid defence of both sides.

Nonetheless, Hanoi FC’s efforts paid off five minutes before the hour mark, with Pape Omar Faye feeding a cross to Thanh Chung who headed home from close range to open the scoring for the guests.

With time running out, SLNA raised their pressure aiming to restore the parity. They came close to equalising the score two minutes from overtime, but Ho Khac Ngoc’s freekick unexpectedly hit the post.

The 1-0 away victory was just enough for Hanoi FC to pocket the overall V.League trophy regardless of the results of the remaining fixtures, as they have moved 10 points clear of their nearest challengers, Ho Chi Minh City, who only have three matches left to play.

Hanoi FC players salute their fans after the match.

This is a fully deserved ending for Chu Dinh Nghiem’s side who have demonstrated excellent form thus far this V.League season, scoring 15 wins, seven draws and only two losses after 24 league games with an amazing goal difference of 32 (56-24).