Football

Striker Nguyễn Văn Quyết of Hà Nội (right) vies for a ball against Hà Nội Police's defender Đoàn Văn Hậu during their V.League 1 match on February 9. Hà Nội won 2-0. Photo of VPF

HÀ NỘI — Defending champions Hà Nội proved their power while their coach enjoyed his first V.League 1 win after beating new face Hà Nội Police 2-0 in the capital derby match on February 9.

Captain Nguyễn Văn Quyết scored both goals for the visitors in the second half at Hàng Đẫy Stadium.

After the win, coach Bandozar Bandovic said it was a great performance that his team could beat Hà Nội Police, a recently promoted team but home to many national stars.

It was the second V.League match and first win for Bandovic, who came to lead the team in January.

People said that the V.League was an easy league, but it was not, he added. 

Vietnamese football was at a high level which could be seen through this match where Hà Nội faced difficulties before winning. Therefore, taking the championship trophy would not be a simple job, Bandovic said.

"We seriously practised for this match, my defenders did their job very well while in the front line we had a number of opportunities," said man-of-the-match Quyết. "The winning result is from our effort and a bit of luck too."

On the other side, coach Paulo Foiani affirmed Hà Nội's strength and accepted the defeat.

He said Hà Nội Police prepared well for the important match but Hà Nội played well and made better use of their chances. The defending champion was a strong united team. They managed the ball well and created a lot of difficulty for the hosts.

The Brazilian said that his players needed to forget the loss and look toward to the following game because there are still many games ahead in this season.

In another match on February 9, Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh successfully tied former champions Viettel in a goalless draw.

They will host Hà Nội on February 14, one day after Viettel visits Hà Nội Police.

After two rounds, Nam Định is on top with a maximum six points. Hà Nội is second with four points and Hải Phòng third. Hà Nội Police is placed fifth while Hà Tĩnh is in 11th place. VNS