Da Nang FC rekindled their hopes after a convincing victory against Hai Phong FC, while Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC and PVF-CAND found themselves in a difficult position after only securing 1 point in this round of matches.
Drama in the final group
PVF-CAND put on a resilient performance when they faced The Cong Viettel at Hang Day Stadium (Hanoi) on May 23rd. Coach Tran Tien Dai's enthusiastic young players played a tight defense, not only successfully intercepting the opponent's sharp attacks but also scoring the opening goal of the match.
However, a "loss of momentum" in the final moments of the match led to PVF-CAND making defensive errors, resulting in The Cong Viettel equalizing 1-1 and losing their chance to avoid relegation. With only 18 points after 24 rounds, PVF-CAND remains rooted at the bottom of the table and faces the risk of returning to the National First Division from next season.
With a six-point lead over the bottom-placed team with only two rounds remaining, Thanh Hoa FC and Song Lam Nghe An FC are the next two teams to avoid direct relegation. Meanwhile, a 1-1 draw away at Thanh Hoa in round 24 allowed Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC to close the gap with the relegation zone in the standings.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai is currently in 11th place with 23 points, 3 points ahead of Da Nang FC and 5 points ahead of PVF-CAND. If they lose in the last two rounds, the team owned by Mr. Duc risks relegation or having to play a play-off match at the end of the season to secure their place in the league.
This scenario is entirely possible because Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC will have to face Hanoi FC in round 25 and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City in round 26. These two formidable opponents are desperate for points to achieve their goals this season.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC (in white shorts) is at a disadvantage in the relegation battle (Photo: VPF)
The top 3 are still undecided.
The draw against a weaker opponent at home also meant that The Cong Viettel could not become the new runner-up of the tournament. Coach Popov's team has 50 points after 24 rounds, still firmly in second place in the standings and 5 points ahead of the chasing pack.
However, the ticket to the AFC Champions League II next season will be hard to slip from the grasp of the military team. Just one more win and The Cong Viettel will officially secure the runner-up position in the V-League 2025-2026. This is not a difficult task for Coach Popov's team, given that they will be competing against two opponents who have no more motivation to play: Ho Chi Minh City Police FC (who have already secured their place in the league) and Hanoi Police FC (the newly crowned V-League champions).
Meanwhile, Ninh Binh FC squandered a victory in the 90+5th minute, severely impacting their ambitions of competing for the runner-up position. Not only did they miss the chance to close the points gap with The Cong Viettel, but the team from the ancient capital of Hoa Lu also revealed inconsistent performance in the second half of the season, especially a noticeable decline in defensive efficiency.
Since the 13th round, Ninh Binh FC has only kept a clean sheet once, conceding 15 goals and winning 5. Constant changes in coaching staff and rapidly shifting playing philosophy are the reasons why Ninh Binh FC has failed to establish a distinct playing style and has struggled to implement its tactical approach.
Finishing in third place overall would be the most realistic goal for Hoang Duc and his teammates in this V-League season. In the last two rounds, they will face Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh respectively. This is an opportunity for Ninh Binh FC to accumulate maximum points and improve their position in the standings.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/v-league-hap-dan-o-chang-nuoc-rut-19626052421275444.htm
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