On the evening of October 4, Binh Duong club won 3-0 against Ho Chi Minh City in round 4 of LPBank V.League 2024-2025. This victory helped Binh Duong climb to 4th place on the rankings with 7 points.
Of Binh Duong's 3 goals, striker Nguyen Tien Linh contributed 1 goal. The striker born in 1997 also proactively conceded a penalty to help Wellington Nem score the first goal for Binh Duong as well as relieve psychological pressure.
When asked about Tien Linh's performance in the match against Ho Chi Minh City, coach Hoang Anh Tuan commented: "I don't want to say much about Tien Linh. This is the 4th match. Linh's goal this afternoon was very classy. Linh is very professional and is one of the few players who still maintain stable performance in the national team. For Binh Duong, Tien Linh is very important, and at this time, the national team also really needs Linh."
Regarding Tien Linh's penalty situation and Wellington Nem's first goal, Mr. Tuan commented: "I think, if Tien Linh is healthy enough, he will play. In this match, Tien Linh's activities are not like in previous matches. Before the match, Linh was unlikely to play because of back pain. Tien Linh is very professional when he concedes the penalty. He knows what to do.
Whether he scores or not is not important. This goal helps to relieve Nem's psychology. Before the match, I told him that he would sit out to observe the match, see how his opponents and teammates play. In the short time he was on the field, Nem played well. This goal has great psychological significance for him."
On the other side of the battle line, coach Phung Thanh Phuong of Ho Chi Minh City club also said that his players failed to maintain concentration when facing Binh Duong.
"After the loss in the previous round, my players still maintained good spirit. However, today, the players' concentration in both attack and defense was not good. During the upcoming break, we will prepare for the National Cup. The team needs to get into the rhythm of playing with only domestic players in this arena. Ho Chi Minh City needs to improve both defense and attack," Mr. Phuong shared.
