Today's match schedule for Truong Tuoi Dong Nai: Forget about Cong Phuong for now, determined to reclaim the top spot.

Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC had a less than impressive start to the new season. In the first round, coach Nguyen Viet Thang's team drew 2-2 at home against Ho Chi Minh City FC. After that, they only managed a narrow 1-0 victory against Van Hien University. It wasn't until the third round that Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC started to "warm up," defeating Phu Tho FC 4-1. In those matches, Cong Phuong was not registered to play and only watched his teammates from the stands. He is still recovering from injury and needs about 1-2 weeks to return to the field. Therefore, Cong Phuong was unable to play in the away match against Long An FC.

Lịch thi đấu Trường Tươi Đồng Nai hôm nay: Tạm quên Công Phượng, quyết đòi lại ngôi đầu bảng- Ảnh 1.

Lịch thi đấu Trường Tươi Đồng Nai hôm nay: Tạm quên Công Phượng, quyết đòi lại ngôi đầu bảng- Ảnh 2. — Cong Phuong (right) hasn't returned yet, but Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club still has Minh Vuong who is in good form.

However, this is not too worrying for Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC. In terms of form, Long An FC is showing inconsistency. They won 1-0 against Dong Thap in round 2, but also lost two matches against Khanh Hoa and Quy Nhon, with only 3 points, ranking 8th in the standings. Meanwhile, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC is undefeated, leading the table with 7 points.

Long An FC's squad quality is also completely inferior compared to their opponent. The most notable players under coach Nguyen Ngoc Linh are only Thanh Hai (a highly experienced player but past his prime) and Trong Dai (a former captain of the Vietnam U20 team still striving to rediscover his form). On the other side, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC has stars spread across all three lines such as Huu Tuan, Tan Sinh, Xuan Truong, Minh Vuong, Tu Nhan… More importantly, these players are showing great chemistry. Minh Vuong consistently assists Tu Nhan in scoring goals. The trio who came through the HAGL academy – Minh Vuong, Xuan Truong, and Van Son – have also found each other, clearly demonstrated in the second goal against Phu Tho FC. Xuan Truong made a long pass for Van Son to run onto, then crossed the ball into the box for Minh Vuong to score.

Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC has two strikers currently leading the First Division top scorer list: Minh Vuong (3 goals, ranked 1st) and Tu Nhan (2 goals, ranked 3rd). If these players maintain their form and cohesion, the away team is highly likely to secure all three points at Long An Stadium to maintain their top position in the league.

The remaining match on October 18th is also highly anticipated, as the second and third-placed teams, Quang Ninh FC and Khanh Hoa FC, will face off at Cam Pha Stadium. Both clubs currently have 6 points and are showing quite good form. With players who made their name in Quang Ninh, such as Van Hieu, Minh Tuan, Xuan Tu, Hong Quan, and Nhat Minh, coach Van Dan is turning the team from the mining region into a championship contender. Meanwhile, Khanh Hoa FC is a tenacious, cohesive team, very good at counter-attacking defense. If Truong Tuoi Dong Nai FC loses points, the winning team will move to the top of the table. Therefore, this match is also worth watching and promises to deliver many noteworthy moments.