HAGL defeats Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh unexpectedly lost to HAGL right on their home ground.

Round 13 of the V.League saw a clash between Ninh Binh and HAGL in contrasting situations. HAGL relieved pressure with a victory against Da Nang at home, temporarily moving away from the relegation zone. Conversely, Ninh Binh made things difficult for themselves by losing to CAHN, and also suffered significant losses with Quang Nho's red card and coach Gerard Albadalejo's touchline ban.

With the gap widening in the title race, Ninh Binh needed to win. Possessing the most effective attack in the league, the home team was considered the favorite. And in fact, HAGL proactively played a tight defensive game on Ninh Binh's home ground.

However, the visiting team caused a major surprise in the first 45 minutes. In the 16th minute, HAGL took a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Nguyen Minh Tam, following a mistake in the home team's ball distribution.

Ninh Binh refused to accept defeat and launched a fierce attack in search of an equalizer. However, HAGL played solidly and also organized sharp counter-attacks.

Goalkeeper Van Lam even made an impressive save in the 42nd minute, denying Vinh Nguyen's shot to prevent his team from conceding a second goal. Ninh Binh tried hard, but couldn't find the net. The first half ended with a 1-0 lead for HAGL.

After the break, Ninh Binh proactively increased the tempo of their attack. The home team continuously launched attacks in search of an equalizer, most notably Geovane's shot in the 48th minute which hit the HAGL wall. Conversely, the visiting team played solidly, focusing on defense and waiting for opportunities to counter-attack.

Ninh Binh's pressure materialized in the 64th minute. From a favorable position, Geovane unleashed a perfect free-kick, sending the ball straight into the top corner of the net, giving goalkeeper Trung Kien no chance to save it and bringing the game back to a tie. The equalizer clearly boosted Ninh Binh's morale, and they continuously increased the pressure. However, the strikers' lack of finishing allowed opportunities to slip away.

Despite numerous attacks, Ninh Binh failed to score and paid a heavy price in the 85th minute. From a quick counter-attack, Silva Da Silva Marciel unleashed a powerful shot, beating Van Lam and giving HAGL a 2-1 lead. Six minutes of added time were not enough for Ninh Binh to turn the tide.

The result helped HAGL climb to 8th place with 14 points after 13 matches played. Meanwhile, Ninh Binh is 2 points behind CAHN but has played 2 more matches.

HAGL brother 1