The highlight match between Hanoi and Nam Dinh in round 21 of V.League ended with a surprising result. The team from Thanh Nam easily took the lead in the first half with a 3-goal gap from goals scored by Kevin Pham Ba, Ly Cong Hoang Anh and Brener.
In the second half, although coach Makoto Teguramori adjusted personnel and playing style, he could not penetrate the defense of the team from Thanh Nam. In the end, Nam Dinh won 3-0 against Hanoi FC in the early "final" match of the season.
The impressive performance helped the defending champion solidify their position at the top of the table with 42 points, 5 points ahead of Hanoi in 2nd place.
Meanwhile, at Quy Nhon Stadium, Chau Ngoc Quang's red card caused Hoang Anh Gia Lai to lose. The team from the Mountain City had a goal to take the lead from Brandao, but then Pinto and Rivas scored to help Binh Dinh come back to win 2-1.
Similarly, Thanh Hoa also lost 1-2 to Ho Chi Minh City in a one-man deficit when goalkeeper Xuan Hoang received a red card at the end of the first half.
With the above results, Thanh Hoa is still stuck in 5th place with 30 points. However, they may be relegated if Hanoi Police overcome Quang Nam in the late match of round 21 of V.League taking place tomorrow (May 5).
Ho Chi Minh City temporarily rose to 9th with 25 points, equal with Binh Duong but inferior in secondary index. Hoang Anh Gia Lai is right behind with 24 points, while Binh Dinh, although unable to escape the position of second to last, has shortened the gap to only 1 point compared to Song Lam Nghe An and 5 points more than the bottom team Da Nang.
