Ninh Binh, May 17, 2025 – Nguyen Hoang Duc and Dang Van Lam, along with Ninh Binh, defeated Ho Chi Minh city U19 3-0 in Round 19 on the evening of May 17, securing the 2024-2025 First Division championship with three rounds to spare and earning promotion to V.League 1 for the 2025/2026 season.
At Ninh Binh’s home ground on May 17, the hosts controlled the match throughout and easily scored three goals. In the 10th minute, Hoang Duc took a corner from the right, which Pham Van Thanh headed into the net to open the scoring. Three minutes later, a mispass from the opposition allowed Dinh Thanh Binh to shoot from around 24 meters. The ball traveled low, hitting the inside of the left post and going in.
The score was finalized in the 77th minute after a long ball from the home team’s half. Substitute forward Nguyen Quoc Viet broke the offside trap, entered the penalty box, and scored with a “nutmeg” shot past goalkeeper Duong Van Cuong to make it 3-0.
In the other match at the same time, second-place Binh Phuoc drew 0-0 with PVF-CAND. With these results, Ninh Binh has 49 points, 8 points ahead of Binh Phuoc. With three rounds remaining, Ninh Binh is guaranteed to win the 2024-2025 First Division early, while Binh Phuoc has only two rounds left.
Ninh Binh’s championship win had been expected before the season began, as the team has many players who have previously represented the national team, U23, or have played in V.League for many years. The squad includes goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, defenders Do Thanh Thinh, Mach Ngoc Ha, Nguyen Huu Tuan, midfielders Hoang Duc, Trong Long, forwards Pham Van Thanh, Quoc Viet, and Dinh Thanh Binh.
This is the second time Ninh Binh has had a team in V.League. In 2009, Xi Mang The Vissai Ninh Binh won the First Division to be promoted, but in January 2015, owner Hoang Manh Truong announced the dissolution of the team and returned the youth teams to the local area.
The current club, now known as Phu Dong Ninh Binh, originated as Phu Dong FC, founded in Hanoi in 2015. In 2023, the team was transferred to Ninh Binh province to compete in the First Division. This season, the team received strong investment from Bầu Thụy and was immediately promoted.
With their superior strength, Ninh Binh remains unbeaten in the First Division with 16 wins and one draw. The team holds the record for the most consecutive wins in Vietnamese professional football with 14 straight victories and aims to be the first First Division team to finish a season unbeaten. Ninh Binh has scored 34 goals, conceded just two, and kept 15 clean sheets.
Many other records are within Ninh Binh’s reach with three matches still to play. The record for most wins in the First Division is 17, held by Hai Phong in 2003 and Ha Tinh in 2019. The record for most points in a season is 54, set by Quan khu 4 (now dissolved) in 2008. The record for least goals conceded is 7, held by Long An (2001-2002) and Dong Thap (2014).
Ninh Binh is not the earliest champion in the First Division. The record belongs to Saigon Xuan Thanh (now dissolved), who won the title with five rounds to spare in the 2011 season.
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