Round 13 of V-League: HAGL causes a shock, unexpected events unfold

The win allows HAGL and PVF-CAND to move up in the lower ranks. Meanwhile, at the summit of the league, the race is beginning to shift.

Both HAGL and PVF-CAND were underestimated when traveling to Ninh Binh Stadium and Binh Duong Stadium. Ninh Binh Club was eager to win to reclaim the top spot from CAHN Club and continue their winning streak. Becamex TP.HCM aimed for 3 points against the evenly matched PVF-CAND to quickly accumulate points before the second half of the season.

However, an interesting surprise occurred in football: teams struggling in the relegation battle won full points away from home. Coach Quang Trai's squad had not secured an away victory this season before arriving at Ninh Binh in round 13. The Pleiku mountain town team achieved their first away win convincingly against a strong opponent ranked second on the table, using a tight and effective playing style.

HAGL opened the scoring in the 16th minute, courtesy of 21-year-old Minh Tam. The home team Ninh Binh tried to control the game and press forward to find an equalizer. Early in the second half, Geovane Magno scored a beautiful free kick to level the score at 1-1 for the hosts.

However, the team of quality players from Ninh Binh unexpectedly failed to perform as expected during the remaining time.In the 85th minute, HAGL sealed the 2-1 victory with a quick counterattack, Marciel da Silva scored past goalkeeper Van Lam's helplessness. This win propelled HAGL up to 8th place on the standings.

At Binh Duong Stadium, the home team Becamex TP.HCM started well by scoring the opening goal in the 18th minute through Tan Tai. But PVF-CAND staged a comeback with goals from Hoang Vu Samson and Thai Ba Dat. Losing this so-called "relegation final" puts Becamex TP.HCM at risk of slipping into the lower group, as they are now very close to the positions of their rivals. PVF-CAND is breathing down the neck of Japanese coach Ueno Nobuhiro’s team, trailing by just one point (12 compared to 11).

Ninh Binh's slip opened opportunities for other contenders in the top group battle. At Hang Day Stadium, players Fisher and Do Hoang Hen (Hendrio) helped Hanoi Club secure a 2-0 win against Hai Phong, moving temporarily into 4th place on the table. With 21 points, Hanoi Club is now close to the top 3, gaining confidence and momentum for the rest of the season. The return of coach Harry Kewell’s team makes the top group race more exciting and unpredictable.