Ha Tinh FC displayed good teamwork but... poor shooting, and were held to a draw by Thanh Hoa FC, managed by Popov.

Ha Tinh Club started the match well.

Although the 0-1 defeat away to Hai Phong ended Ha Tinh FC's unbeaten V-League streak at 13 matches, it cannot be denied that coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team had an exceptional season. Despite limited resources in both domestic and foreign players, Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong skillfully molded the team with a clear and scientific playing philosophy, creating a formidable and resilient squad.

Highlights of Ha Tinh FC 0-0 Thanh Hoa FC | Round 15 V-League 2024-2025

The "stormy" start against Thanh Hoa FC on the evening of February 28th showed that the end of their unbeaten streak did not affect the home team Ha Tinh's morale. Having to play away from home in Vinh was also not a hindrance. Luong Xuan Truong and his teammates controlled the game, constantly pushing the team currently third in the V-League onto the defensive.

Dinh Tien (in red shirt) made a daring breakthrough and shot through the Thanh Hoa defense.

In the very first minute, Tran Dinh Tien dribbled the ball into the center and unleashed a bold shot, forcing the Thanh Hoa defense to work hard to stop it. Six minutes later, Ha Tinh FC executed a quick and beautiful one-two pass in the center, typical of coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's style. Nguyen Trong Hoang received the ball and threaded a pass to Gero, but the Ha Tinh foreign player's shot lacked power, giving the visiting goalkeeper a chance to make a save.

In the 19th minute, it was Xuan Truong's turn to have a chance to score. From a free kick slightly to the left, the 30-year-old midfielder unleashed a daring shot. The ball swirled and swerved, but goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Thang correctly anticipated the ball's trajectory and made a spectacular save. Playing in goal in place of his younger colleague Trinh Xuan Hoang, Thanh Thang replicated the saves he made during his peak years.

Thanh Hoa FC only showed signs of attacking in the latter half of the first half; however, coach Velizar Popov's players failed to impose their game, instead seeking opportunities from set pieces or counter-attacks. Thanh Hoa's clearest scoring chance in the first 45 minutes was a daring left-footed shot from young striker Nguyen Ngoc My from 25 meters, the ball curving just wide of the post.

Stalemate

In the second half, Ha Tinh FC continued to dominate. The home team's short, fluid passing game troubled Thanh Hoa's defense, but lacked the sharpness to score as the visitors defended well.

After Dinh Tien's impromptu shot... that went high into the air in the 55th minute, it was Geovane Magno's turn to try his luck. In the 65th minute, the Brazilian foreign player turned and unleashed a superb left-footed shot, but the ball still narrowly missed the post.

It wasn't until the 71st minute that Thanh Hoa FC had a noteworthy attacking move. Yago Ramos made a powerful run through Ha Tinh's midfield, then passed the ball to Vo Nguyen Hoang. The former Vietnam U23 striker dribbled once before passing the ball back into the center. However, Doan Ngoc Ha's long-range left-footed shot wasn't difficult enough to beat the Ha Tinh goalkeeper.

In the final minutes of the match, Ha Tinh FC switched from a quick one-two pass through the center to attacking down the flanks. The ball was passed to Dinh Tien on the left wing, allowing the former SLNA prodigy to create chances before crossing into the box. In the 79th minute, Dinh Tien delivered a superb cross for Geovane to head over the crossbar. Xuan Truong also had a few good crosses, but they weren't difficult enough to beat the visiting team's defenders.

Drawing 0-0 against Thanh Hoa FC, hosts Ha Tinh regained their unbeaten form. However, one point was not enough for coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team to return to the top 5. As for Thanh Hoa, their third place position remains secure but is more precarious than ever with Hanoi FC closing in from behind.

Vinh Stadium is causing concern.

Vinh Stadium faces a "challenge" due to its high match density, with two matches taking place on two consecutive days, February 28th and March 1st, hosting Dong A Thanh Hoa and Hanoi Police respectively. Compared to the general standard in the V-League, Vinh Stadium's pitch is not exceptionally good, and is even being affected by the cold and rainy weather conditions of the northern region, making pitch maintenance quite difficult for the match organizers and requiring frequent reinforcement.

To ensure the best possible conditions for this 15th round of matches, the tournament organizers previously requested the Vinh Stadium organizers to cooperate so that all four teams – HLHT, Dong A Thanh Hoa, SLNA, and CAHN – would not train on the main pitch. Instead, the organizers arranged training sessions on the auxiliary pitch. After this afternoon's match between Ha Tinh and Dong A Thanh Hoa, the Vinh Stadium organizers will urgently prepare to ensure the best possible conditions for tomorrow's match between SLNA and Hanoi Police FC (6 PM on March 1st).

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-ha-tinh-phoi-hop-hay-nhung-sut-do-bi-thanh-hoa-cua-ong-popov-cam-chan-185250228190614795.htm