HAGL continued to languish at the bottom of the table after losing 1-0 to hosts Ha Tinh in Round 9 of the V-League 2023-2024 on the evening of February 18th.
When the referee blew the final whistle, the players and coaching staff of Ha Tinh embraced each other in celebration, ending their streak of draws and losses.
A narrow victory in the "relegation battle" of the first phase helped the home team climb to 11th place with nine points, four points ahead of their rivals for survival. In contrast, many HAGL players sat dejected on the field, while head coach Vu Tien Thanh wrung his hands in disappointment.
Dinh Tien (number 11) celebrates after scoring the opening goal. Photo: Duc Hung
Before the match, Ha Tinh and HAGL were ranked 13th and 14th respectively. Therefore, both teams aimed to win three points to escape the relegation zone. The home team played proactively, controlling more of the ball, but it was the visitors who had the first opportunity. In the 24th minute, from an attack down the left wing, Jhon Cley crossed the ball into the penalty area, and Quoc Viet headed the ball from about 5 meters out, hitting the crossbar.
Five minutes later, Ha Tinh responded when defender Lam Anh Quang headed the ball from close range, just 5 meters from a very swirling corner kick on the left wing taken by Dinh Tien. However, goalkeeper Phan Dinh Vu Hai - a former Ha Tinh player - made a spectacular save, preventing the visitors from conceding a goal by a hair's breadth. Many spectators in the stadium cheered and stood up to applaud the effort of the goalkeeper from Ha Tinh.
The final minutes of the first half were rather dull, with the ball constantly swirling around in the middle of the field. The match only really picked up in the second half, when Ha Tinh brought on attacking players, including captain Phi Son. The presence of this midfielder made the stadium more lively, with many home fans continuously chanting his name.
Midfielder Tuan Anh (left) played poorly before leaving the field due to injury. Photo: Duc Hung
In the 72nd minute, following a high cross into the penalty area from the left wing by Phi Son, striker Vu Quang Nam rose high to head the ball across the goal. Midfielder Dinh Tien pounced on the rebound from about 3 meters out, scoring past goalkeeper Vu Hai. The former SLNA midfielder was overjoyed, running halfway around the field to celebrate. In the technical area, the Ha Tinh coaching staff rushed onto the field to embrace their players and share in the joy.
HAGL pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but failed to create any decisive opportunities. On the sidelines, coach Vu Tien Thanh constantly urged his team to push forward, but repeatedly held his head in his hands and punched the air in frustration. The visitors' sad day ended with captain Nguyen Tuan Anh leaving the field due to injury.
Minh Vương looked devastated after HAGL's defeat. Photo: Đức Hùng
After losing 1-0 to Ha Tinh, HAGL remains in 14th place with 5 points. In Round 10, both Ha Tinh and HAGL will play at home, hosting Khanh Hoa and Quang Nam respectively.
Key events of the Ha Tinh 1-0 HAGL match.
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