Viettel's performance in V-League 2023 remains inconsistent.

Khánh Hòa: A few days after crushing SLNA, former champions Viettel were held to a 0-0 draw by Khánh Hòa, a team currently in the lower half of the table, in Round 11 of the V-League 2023 on the afternoon of June 6th.

Since the beginning of the season, Viettel has never won two consecutive matches in the V-League. Therefore, even though their squad boasts many players from the U23 or national team, such as Nham Manh Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc, and Nguyen Duc Chien, they are not rated too highly compared to Khanh Hoa.

The home team also hasn't been in impressive form, winning only one of their last four matches. However, they have the advantage of playing at home at the 19/8 Stadium – where coach Vo Ngoc Tan's team only suffered one defeat against league leaders Thanh Hoa.

Viettel players (in red shirts) fend off an attack from Khanh Hoa in Round 11 of the V-League 2023. Photo: Phuong Vo

And this reality was reflected in the match's progress. Viettel controlled possession more, but struggled to get close to Khanh Hoa's goal. In the first half, they only created two significant opportunities. The first was Duong Van Hao's missed tap-in from close range, after a low cross from the right wing by Jaha. Then, in the 22nd minute, Duc Chien's header from a corner kick went just over the crossbar.

Interspersed within that were counter-attacks from Khanh Hoa. Vietnamese-American striker Ryan Ha once sprinted past Tran Manh Cuong's challenge and crossed to Muacir, but he lost his balance. Tran Van Tung, coming from the second line, volleyed from an open position, sending the ball wide of the goal. Ha then had another chance but couldn't beat goalkeeper Van Phong.

In the second half, Viettel suffered a setback when Jaha was injured in the 52nd minute. A heavy downpour from the 70th minute onwards also hampered the play of both teams, resulting in frequent misplaced passes and very few scoring opportunities.

Khánh Hòa's rare dangerous opportunity came in the 64th minute, when Duy Thanh chipped the ball behind the Viettel defense for Út Cường to tap it into the net. In the 88th minute, Viettel had a valuable chance. Hoàng Đức crossed the ball, but Đức Chiến's header went wide of the post. If Duy Thường had finished, Viettel would likely have scored.

With a 0-0 draw, Viettel moved up to fifth place with 15 points, level with Hai Phong, Binh Dinh, and Nam Dinh, but ahead due to the best goal difference. Khanh Hoa has 12 points and is ranked 11th, six points ahead of bottom-placed Da Nang and three points behind the top eight.

Starting lineup

Khanh Hoa: Vo Ngoc Cuong, Thanh Thu, Tran Trong Hieu, Jairo Filho, Duy Duong, Le Duy Thanh, Pham Tru Tinh, Le Tien Anh, Tran Van Tung, Ryan Ha, Muacir Pacheco

Viettel: Pham Van Phong, Thanh Binh, Phan Tuan Tai, Cao Tran Hoang Hung, Tran Manh Cuong, Nguyen Duc Hoang Minh, Duong Van Hao, Jaha, Duc Chien, Hoang Duc, Nham Manh Dung.

Hieu Luong

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/viettel-van-phap-phu-o-v-league-2023-4614405.html