V-League 2024 - 2025: Exciting race to find a way to survive

THE BOTTOM ALMOST WINNS THE TOP

With superior force, Nam Dinh Club (top of the table) was considered stronger, but in the end, it was the team that suffered under the pressure of the host Da Nang (bottom of the table) in the match of round 19 that took place last night (April 20). The counter-attacking style of play that knew themselves and their opponents, combined with the smooth and diverse wing moves from the young "seeds" helped coach Le Duc Tuan and his team overwhelm their opponents. The fiery fighting spirit, despite the slim chance of staying in the league, also helped the Central team play very well, restraining the star-studded attack of Nam Dinh Club. On the other hand, the away team Nam Dinh could only look forward to the independent actions of Caio Cesar and the acceleration of Van Toan. In the last 20 minutes of the match, the defending champions put pressure on, but that was not enough to leave with 3 points.

Nam Dinh Club (left) struggled to get points against Da Nang

Photo: DONG NGHI

The 0-0 draw between Nam Dinh FC and Da Nang FC last night showed the reality of the V-League. That is, the gap in strength between the teams has been narrowed to the maximum. Despite being at the top of the table, Nam Dinh FC was held to a draw by Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang FC this month. Binh Duong FC, which was rising to 5th place under coach Nguyen Cong Manh, suddenly... lost 0-4 to HAGL, then lost 0-3 to Hanoi FC. Or Thanh Hoa FC, which had gone 13 games without a win, rose up to defeat The Cong Viettel .

The desire to survive has helped the bottom teams rise up. True, but not enough. This season's V-League no longer has any truly strong and different teams, like Nam Dinh FC last season, or Hanoi FC in the 2018-2019 period. Any outcome can happen, as coach Velizar Popov described, every match is tense and harsh. That makes both the championship and relegation races unpredictable. Nam Dinh FC is still in the lead with 36 points, but Hanoi FC is close behind with 34 points. The gap from the 3rd team (Thanh Hoa) to the 6th (Ha Tinh) is only 2 points.

In the danger zone, Da Nang FC is only 5 points away from the play-off spot, which means the door to survival is open. As long as they fight, coach Le Duc Tuan and his team still have hope. Binh Dinh FC, the team in the play-off spot, is only 3 points behind the safe zone. Thus, with just one round, the V-League situation at both ends will change dramatically.

HAGL NEEDS TO RESURRECT

HAGL has fallen to 10th place with 21 points. Although still 5 points above the danger zone, it should be remembered that coach Le Quang Trai and his team still have many "reverse finals" to overcome. In the next round, HAGL will face Hai Phong FC at home in Pleiku, before going to Quy Nhon Stadium to play a life-or-death match with Binh Dinh FC.

The mountain town team was dissatisfied with referee Tran Ngoc Anh and the VAR team, when they took away Tran Minh Vuong's goal in the match against Ha Tinh Club. However, HAGL lost not because of this goal. Although playing at home, Minh Vuong and his teammates were still pressured, their attacks were deadlocked and lackluster. Except for the surprising 4-0 win against Binh Duong, HAGL has shown a one-dimensional performance since the beginning of the year. The force under the leadership of Mr. Le Quang Trai is too thin and inexperienced to calculate the long term. That requires HAGL to squeeze every point.

It is worrying for HAGL that the home field is no longer a solid support. Coach Le Quang Trai's students have lost 2 out of the last 3 home matches, while their away form is still very bad. The image of dedication and innocence from before is gradually fading, giving way to half-hearted pragmatism. HAGL prioritizes defense but cannot maintain certainty, wants to counter-attack but lacks strategy, only relying on the performance of Marciel da Silva.

Instead of fighting against the referee's irreversible decision, HAGL needs to focus on the present. Minh Vuong and his teammates need at least 5-6 more points to stay in the league, and that is an achievable task if the team focuses on their skills, instead of wavering over past events.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/v-league-2024-2025-hap-dan-cuoc-dua-tim-cua-sinh-ton-185250420232209839.htm