Binh Duong flatten Nam Dinh 3-1

      Amaobi Uzowuru struck twice to help Binh Duong beat Dam Phu My Nam Dinh 3-1 over the weekend to go three points clear of Da Nang at the top of the V-League.

Da Nang, who were topping the table after nine games the previous week, lost 1-0 away to two-time champions Hoang Anh Gia Lai in Pleiku yesterday.

As a result, the Central Highland team leap-frogged from 7th to fourth place and are now only a point behind Thanh Hoa.

Binh Duong, who were lying in second place, overcame Nam Dinh at home to end the visitor”s impressive away-win record.

“I highly appreciate Nam Dinh”s magnificent play away from home, but today”s loss is the result of having to travel twice in two successive games, which really weakened their strength,” said Binh Duong coach Le Thuy Hai.

Brazilian Alves gave hosts Binh Duong a boost with a brilliant strike to net the ball eight minutes into the match.

Hai fielded three foreigners, including Nigerian Uzowuru and South African Philani, who played alongside Nguyen Anh Duc upfront.

Alves” opener put the host team on a high, and 20 minutes later, Uzowuru fired the ball past Huy to find the back of the net.

The Nigerian striker put the hosts further ahead in the 36th minute when he got on the end of a perfect pass into the left-hand side of the penalty box from Nguyen Hoang Nam.

Trong Loc pulled a goal back for Nam Dinh in the second half, but after Van Nhien was sent off in the 65th minute following an outbreak of violence.

“We started well today but the hosts” early opener put us off and we lost confidence for most of the remaining first half,” said Nam Dinh coach Ngoc Hao.”

Our players recovered their strength after the break and put in a lot of effort but we could only manage one goal because we were down to 10 men.”

In the other matches over the weekend, Halida Thanh Hoa beat Binh Dinh 2-1 at home to move up two places to number three, four points behind leaders Binh Duong and just a point off second-placed Da Nang.

The top of the table includes defending champions Dong Tam Long An, who are looking for their third straight V-League title. They won 2-1 away to Hoa Phat Ha Noi in early action on Friday.

Also at the top of the table are Nam Dinh and Khatoco Khanh Hoa – who drew nil nil to Huda Hue yesterday.

Binh Dinh slid down two places to eighth and are now on 13 points, one above Sai Gon Port, who remain in ninth place after a goalless game against then bottom-of-the-table Dong Thap yesterday.

Song Lam Nghe An scored their first the of the season yesterday, beating Ha Noi ACB 3-0. They are now in 10th place on 11 points.

Hue are 11th, a point behind Nghe An and a point above Ha Noi ACB.

Hoa Phat Ha Noi replace Dong Thap at the bottom of the table, although level on seven points.

VNS