Xuan Thien Phu Tho narrowly escapes defeat at the 90+7th minute.

Xuân Thiện Phú Thọ, a contender for promotion, struggled to secure a single point at home against Thanh Niên TP.HCM in the second round of the National First Division League on the evening of September 26th.

Xuan Thien Phu Tho narrowly avoided defeat against a team with many young players - Photo: Organizing Committee

Taking advantage of their home ground, Xuan Thien Phu Tho FC launched an attack on Thanh Nien Ho Chi Minh City FC right from the opening minutes. However, coach Le Quoc Vuong's team faced many difficulties against the visitors' deep defensive formation and counter-attacking tactics.

While Xuan Thien Phu Tho was still struggling to find a way to break through Thanh Nien Ho Chi Minh City's defense, they were unexpectedly hit by a counter-attack from their opponent.

In a counter-attack in the 28th minute, Victor da Silva of Thanh Nien TP.HCM broke through and fired a shot into the net from the right corner of Xuan Thien Phu Tho's goal, giving his team the lead.

Having taken the lead as planned, Thanh Nien TP.HCM played even more comfortably with a defensive counter-attacking philosophy. They allowed Xuan Thien Phu Tho to control the ball and launch futile crosses, then waited for counter-attacks from their opponents' mistakes.

In the 43rd minute, the second goal arrived. Victor da Silva dribbled down the right wing and crossed the ball to Vo Tran Minh Vu, who finished from close range to make it 2-0 for Thanh Nien TP.HCM.

Not wanting to be completely overwhelmed, Xuan Thien Phu Tho tried to salvage the situation. They scored a goal to reduce the deficit to 1-2 in the 45+1 minute, scored by Yago Ramos. From a long throw-in, Ramos positioned himself in the penalty area, controlled the ball, and then unleashed a skillful volley that beat both the defense and the goalkeeper of Thanh Nien TP.HCM.

The second half continued to see a one-sided game from Xuan Thien Phu Tho. Coach Le Quoc Vuong's players constantly controlled the ball and launched attacks, but rarely created clear-cut opportunities.

It was only as the match drew to a close that the home team's opportunities began to become clearer.

In the 90+7th minute, just as the referee was about to blow the final whistle, Nguyen Trong Bao of Xuan Thien Phu Tho scored a spectacular long-range goal from outside the 16.5-meter box, leaving goalkeeper Phan Dinh Vu Hai of Thanh Nien TP.HCM completely stunned.

The final score was 2-2. Having avoided defeat in injury time, Xuan Thien Phu Tho moved up to 4th place in the 2025-2026 National First Division League standings.

Aiming for promotion, Xuan Thien Phu Tho has had a difficult start to the new season, with only two draws in two rounds. In the next round, coach Quoc Vuong's team will face a tough match away at Truong Tuoi Dong Nai .

NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xuan-thien-phu-tho-thoat-hiem-phut-90-7-20250926200655339.htm