In round 25, Becamex TPHCM suffered a 1-2 defeat to champion Cong An Hanoi at Hang Day Stadium. Although Milos Zlatkovic scored a goal to narrow the gap in the 2nd half, coach Hua Hien Vinh's team still could not avoid losing to a superior opponent in force and on the day of lifting the championship cup.
This result makes Becamex TPHCM continue to face great pressure in the relegation battle. After 25 rounds, the Thu Dau Mot team has 21 points and cannot guarantee a place in the V.League next season.
Meanwhile, PVF-CAND rekindled hope with an important 3-1 victory over Hai Phong at home. Mpande opened the score very early before Vo Anh Quan and Hoang Vu Samson scored two more goals in the second half. Three valuable points helped the police team increase the total score to 21, equal to Becamex TPHCM but still ranked behind due to inferior sub-indices.
In another development, Da Nang missed the opportunity to break away when they only drew 0-0 at Ha Tinh's stadium. The Han River team entered the game with high determination but could not penetrate the solid defense of the home team. Only getting 1 more point made coach Le Duc Tuan's team unable to create an advantage in the survival race.
When the season only has one round left, the competition to avoid relegation and the position to play in the play-offs is still extremely unpredictable. Becamex HCMC, Da Nang and PVF-CAND are tied with 21 points.
The final round promises to bring dramatic developments. Just one victory or one slip of the opponent can completely change the situation of the relegation race. With Becamex HCMC, Da Nang and PVF-CAND, all opportunities are still there and their fate will only be decided after the last 90 minutes of the season.
