Eighth round of V-League: Saigon Port snatch top position

By taking only one point in a 1-1 draw with ACB Hanoi on March 9, Southern Steel Saigon Port replaced Haiphong at the top of the V-League. 

Da Nang (left) won the second consecutive  victory to rise to 10th place.

After a painful loss over the guests Khanh Hoa last round, ACB Hanoi showed their determination when hosting the south’s SaigonPort. However the hosts fell behind right in the sixth minute as defen Duc Tuan fouled SaigonPort’s Ngoc Tung in the penalty area.

Trindade easily beat goalkeeper Duc Thang from the penalty sport, strengthening SaigonPort’s hope to take over top position in the table.

In the second half, ACB Hanoi increased the pressure on their guests. And their efforts were reawarded with a goal by Huynh Diep in the 75th minute.

In the last 15 minutes, ACB Hanoi dominated the game and had several goal opportunities. However, the two teams had to leave the ground with the points shared.

Southern SteelSaigonPort now lead by one point.

The round also witnessed the impressive progress of several teams which had previously been in relegation zone last week. Song Lam Nghe An defeated Hoa Phat Hanoi 2-1, rising to the fourth place.

An outstanding performance by Almeida who scored in two goals in the 27th and 55th minute marked Da Nang’s second victory in a row. The win lifted Da Nang three places to 10th leading the eight-point trio which also includes Hoa Phat Hanoi and Binh Duong.

The same day, Santos set the stage for the hosts Khanh Hoa’s victory over two-time champions Hoang Anh Gia Lai with a goal 25 minutes into the match. In the second half, Hoang Duc’s scored twice including an own goal sealed the hosts’ 2-1 triumph.

In other matches, Song Lam Nghe An won Hoa Phat Hanoi 2-1 while The Cong were held by Binh Dinh in a scoreless draw, remaining in the third position.

Binh Dinh are still at the bottom of the table with six points and no wins yet this season.