Round 14 of V-League: Visiting teams keep securing victories

Two contenders in the championship race, The Cong Viettel Club and Hanoi Club, secured vital victories to maintain their chase among the leading teams. This situation keeps the competition at the summit and the bottom of the standings extremely tense…

The Cong-Viettel Club needed a win to remain in the top group, despite having to travel to Lach Tray. Conversely, the home team required a victory to stay within the top three. Therefore, the match was very exciting and fiercely contested, with the visiting team ultimately claiming the win.

In the first half, coach Popov’s players scored the opening goal at the 33rd minute through striker Lucao — a former player of the home team. Hai Phong Club is known for its tough playing style and did not give up despite the difficulties. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem’s team pushed hard in the second half to prevent their opponents from overtaking them in the standings.

The second half was thrilling with high determination from both sides. Hai Phong Club equalized 1-1 through Tagueu in the 57th minute. Unwilling to settle for a draw, which could jeopardize their championship hopes this season, The Cong Viettel intensified their attacking pressure on the road. The soldiers’ team was rewarded with a second goal by the familiar name: Lucao.

Successfully defending their 2-1 win, coach Popov’s squad jumped to third place in the standings, surpassing Hai Phong Club. This could be a very important foundation for coach Popov's team in the championship race, as the gap between them and the teams above is currently only 4 to 5 points.

Hanoi Club also demonstrated strong determination to pursue the championship this season with a 3-1 victory over the home side SLNA. The win against the Nghe An team helped the capital club secure a spot in the top 5 clubs, opening up opportunities for competition. In the upcoming Round 13, Hanoi Club will face Hai Phong Club — the team just ahead of them — hoping to climb further up the leaderboard.

SLNA Club suffered a defeat and has yet to move up the standings. However, the race remains extremely tight. The team above them, Becamex Binh Duong Club, drew 0-0 with HL Ha Tinh Club. This draw leaves the Binh Duong team with 12 points, just 2 points ahead of SLNA who have 10 points.