The championship race starts 'heating up'

After the opening round of the second phase of the 2023 V-League, Hanoi Police Club leads the table with 25 points. Hanoi Club is in second place with 25 points, but has a lower goal difference. Viettel Club has 24 points, ranking third. Thanh Hoa Club falls to fourth place with 23 points after their second consecutive home loss.

6 goals were scored in the latest match of the opening round of the 2nd phase of V-League 2023 between Hanoi FC and Binh Dinh FC at Hang Day Stadium on the evening of July 17. Binh Dinh FC still made it difficult for Hanoi FC as usual, when they opened the scoring first and created a chase until the final minutes. However, the class of the defending champion helped Hanoi FC win 4-2, in which the home team's winning goal was scored in a fast counter-attack in the 90+5 minute.

Hanoi Club won 4-2 against Binh Dinh Club

Although the victory over Binh Dinh Club could not help Hanoi Club take the top spot (because they are still behind Hanoi Police Club in terms of goal difference), it is a strong declaration of their return to the championship race. This season, Hanoi Club has faced many difficulties: new playing philosophy, shortage of players (Hung Dung injured, Van Quyet suspended, Van Hau transferred to a new club), foreign players not meeting requirements..., but they still have the courage to maintain their position in the race. The counter-attack leading to the goal of striker Herlison Caion not only shows that Hanoi Club's physical foundation and playing intensity have improved significantly under coach Bozidar Bandovic. This goal also shows the identity of Hanoi team, which is perseverance until the last minute, whether in a specific match or in the championship race. Hanoi Club may start later, but always knows how to finish first.

The 3 championships in the last 4 seasons of Van Quyet and his teammates are proof of this quality. Hanoi FC has also boldly changed for the better despite being at the top, including appointing Mr. Bandovic to aim for the AFC Champions League (instead of purely competing in the V-League). With a completely new philosophy and requirements, Hanoi FC is transforming.

However, according to the Montenegrin coach, winning the domestic championship is never easy. Compared to last season, the race in V-League 2023 will be more difficult, because the teams competing for the championship with Hanoi FC, including Hanoi Police FC, Viettel FC and Thanh Hoa FC, are all very strong.

CAHN Club (red shirt) is being chased by opponents

Viettel FC is soaring with 5 victories in all competitions. Although coach Thach Bao Khanh affirmed that his goal is only to win medals, Viettel is ready to break through when there is an opportunity. At the beginning of the season, Viettel FC played unstably due to the lack of quality foreign players in attack. That led to Tien Anh and his teammates missing many scoring opportunities despite having a strong midfield. The presence of rookie Mohamed Essam is helping Viettel FC improve. The army team attacks sharply, defends solidly and knows how to punish opponents with fast attacks.

Effective counter-attacking play is the advantage of Viettel Club, in the context that in most of the matches in phase 2, the army team will meet teams with an attacking tendency. Viettel Club drew with Hanoi Club and won against Hanoi Police Club in phase 1, showing the tenacity and sharpness of Coach Thach Bao Khanh's students in difficult matches.

Hanoi Police Club is in decline with 3 winless matches, but coach Flavio Cruz's team is still highly regarded because it has many good players. When they cannot play cohesively, Hanoi Police Club will still need stars like Quang Hai, Van Hau,... to speak up. The minus point of the team coached by Mr. Cruz is the lack of experience in the long-distance race, but with a good squad of players, Hanoi Police Club still has the "weapons" to decide the match.

Thanh Hoa FC is at a disadvantage after losing two consecutive matches, but with a mere two-point gap to the top spot, coach Velizar Popov and his team still have a chance. The rise of Thanh Hoa FC will make the championship race more dramatic and unpredictable.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/v-league-2023-cuoc-dua-vo-dich-bat-dau-nong-185230717225444393.htm