Under mounting pressure following two winless games, Nam Dinh reasserted their title-winning form with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hai Phong at the hostile Lach Tray Stadium. This triumph lifts Nam Dinh to third in the V-League standings, tied with Thanh Hoa and The Cong on 10 points, albeit with one more game played.
Entering the match, Nam Dinh had faced scrutiny after a 3-3 draw with Tampines Rovers in the AFC Champions League Two and a 0-3 defeat to Hanoi Police FC in the V-League. Yet, head coach Vu Hong Viet’s squad responded strongly, showcasing their resilience and tactical adjustments.
The match saw the return of defender Duong Thanh Hao, who had missed two games due to an injury sustained in the 4-1 win over Nghe An. Coach Viet also opted to deploy Lucas Alves as a defensive reinforcement, resting winger Lucas Silva in favor of adding Alves to bolster the backline.
Nam Dinh made an explosive start, opening the scoring within the first five minutes. A well-placed free-kick by Hendrio caused chaos in the box, allowing Van Cong to attempt a shot. The ball ricocheted off a defender but found Lucas, who calmly converted the rebound. Fans erupted after a lengthy VAR review upheld the goal, confirming Nam Dinh’s 1-0 lead.
Hai Phong reacted with an aggressive offensive push. Nam Dinh encountered further difficulty as Thanh Hao was forced off due to injury in the 17th minute, prompting Coach Viet to reshuffle the lineup by moving Van Cong to central defense and deploying Tuan Anh alongside Caio in midfield. Despite Hai Phong’s attacking surge, Nam Dinh’s goalkeeper, Nguyen Manh, preserved the lead with two crucial close-range saves in the 19th and 25th minutes.
Nam Dinh capitalized on Hai Phong’s high defensive line with a swift counterattack in the 36th minute. Left-back Van Vi sprinted nearly 70 meters down the flank before delivering a pinpoint cross to Hendrio, who volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Dinh Trieu, extending Nam Dinh’s lead to 2-0.
At the start of the second half, Coach Viet introduced Ly Cong Hoang Anh to replace Tran Van Trung on the left wing. Hoang Anh nearly made an immediate impact, receiving a through ball from Hendrio and finding himself one-on-one with the Hai Phong goalkeeper. However, he pushed the ball slightly too far, allowing Dinh Trieu to intercept and deny the scoring chance.
Leading the line for Nam Dinh was naturalized Vietnamese striker Nguyen Van Son (Rafaelson), last season’s top scorer with 31 goals. Rafaelson had three promising opportunities in the second half, but his shots were consistently blocked by Hai Phong defenders. The striker, originally from Brazil, has faced a slow start to the 2024-2025 season, scoring only twice in six matches.
The home crowd at Lach Tray finally had a reason to cheer in the 80th minute when Hai Phong pulled a goal back. A misjudged back pass from Van Cong put pressure on goalkeeper Nguyen Manh, allowing Lucao to capitalize and narrow the deficit to 2-1.
In response, Coach Viet reverted Van Cong to midfield and introduced Hoang Van Khanh as a central defender to solidify the defense. This adjustment helped Nam Dinh to manage Hai Phong’s late offensive pushes, securing their 2-1 victory.
The win propels Nam Dinh to third place, while Hai Phong languishes near the bottom, sharing three points with last-placed Song Lam Nghe An but with an additional game played. This result marks a turning point for Nam Dinh as they aim to regain consistency and climb further up the standings. Meanwhile, Hai Phong’s struggles continue as they search for form amid a challenging season start.
Leave a Reply