V-League teams fight relegation

HCM CITY — Two teams languishing at the bottom of the V-League table, Dong Thap and Hai Phong, will face off tomorrow at the Cao Lanh Stadium, fighting to escape the relegation zone.

Dong Thap will have the home advantage in the crucial encounter, expected to be a tense one because both teams will have no other goal than to win and get three points.

A victory can lift Dong Thap out of the danger zone or improve Hai Phong's chance of V-League survival.

Hai Phong are at the bottom of the table with 11 points. Dong Thap are five points ahead of Hai Phong, and two points behind the teams just above them.

Dong Thap have also been enjoying good form of late. New coach Tran Cong Minh helped the team earn four points with a win over Ninh Binh and an away draw against defending champions Song Lam Nghe An.

Veteran coach Le Thuy Hai's squad from the northern port city of Hai Phong has also been doing well of late with a win over Hoang Anh Gia Lai and an away draw at Navibank Sai Gon.

However, Dong Thap have the edge because of the home advantage, prolific striker Felix Ajala and reliable goalkeeper Tran Buu Ngoc.

Khanh Hoa will battle Ha Noi FC today, trying to avoid a further drop in their current rankings.

After two successive defeats, Khanh Hoa are 11th place, just three points from Dong Thap. Ha Noi also suffered two losses in a row to slip to ninth place with 19 points, just one point above Khanh Hoa.

Becamex Binh Duong will have to beat Thanh Hoa today to improve their image after being severely criticised for a streak of five losses in a row. Their main sponsor Becamex, has even threatened to withdraw its sponsorship.

Da Nang, playing without main striker Gaston Merlo, who received three yellow card, will have a difficult trip to Hoang Anh Gia Lai while Sai Gon FC will host Kien Giang at the Thong Nhat Stadium. — VNS