Nguyen Quoc Viet's 90th-minute solo goal brought a 1-0 victory for HAGL against Binh Duong in the 1/8 round of the National Cup.
The match between two former rivals of Vietnamese football took place in a context where both sides were in decline. While Binh Duong was at the bottom of the V-League table, HAGL was also in a relegation race in the second phase of the season.
HAGL celebrates opening the score in the 90th minute. Photo: Minh Tran
However, the long history of confrontation over many years made the match at Pleiku Stadium on the afternoon of July 7th attract attention. Not disappointing the expectations of the fans, the two teams dedicated a high-quality match. Witnessing the opportunities that passed one after another, many fans thought of a goalless draw in 90 minutes. However, in the 90th minute, the striker born in 2003 boldly dribbled past three away players, before shooting diagonally to score the only goal.
This goal sparked a small party on Pleiku field, which has been quite deserted due to the decline of the Mountain Town Team, as well as the departure of key players this season. Quoc Viet's shining performance will help HAGL regain some of the fans' trust in the next generation of players, the ones who will inherit the legacy of Tuan Anh or Minh Vuong.
This was a bitter defeat for Binh Duong and coach Le Huynh Duc. They played better, creating many clear opportunities in the second half. The away team conceded a goal when they were still regretting Viet Cuong's long-range shot that hit the crossbar, which happened right before. Opportunities also came to Bui Vi Hao and Rimario but they shot wide. When Minh Khoa broke through and finished quite well, he could not beat goalkeeper Tuan Linh.
The form of the attack, notably striker Tien Linh, continues to be a concern for Binh Duong. In a counter-attack in the first half, Tien Linh had the ball right in front of the HAGL goal after a pass from Rimario but was too slow to handle it and was blocked from behind by Van Son. Also in the first half, striker Dinh Thanh Binh, newly called up to the Vietnam national team, put the ball into the net but it was disallowed for offside.
HAGL’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be the winner of the match between two lower-ranked teams Phu Tho and PVF - Cong An Nhan Dan. Therefore, the possibility of Kiatisuk and his team going deep in this year’s National Cup is highly appreciated.
Quang Huy
Source link
Comment (0)