Hà Nội FC celebrates winning Hải Phòng in the V.League 1 on Wednesday. Photo vietnamnet.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội FC coach Bozidar Bandovic said stability and consistency are key in their quest for V.League 1 glory.

The Montenegrin was speaking after their 3-1 win against Hải Phòng at Hàng Đẫy Stadium in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

Caion Herlison's two goals and Nguyễn Văn Quyết's penalty helped the capital team continue to hold top spot with 32 points after 17 matches.

Coach Bandovic said that he was satisfied with the way Hà Nội FC players played and won against an arch-rival like Hải Phòng.

"In the first half, we exploited the spaces well and dominated the game," Bozidar said.

"Even after the 1-1 equaliser, my players still maintained very good pressure and got the goal to lead 2-1 at the end of the first half. In the second half, Hải Phòng created more pressure, especially from the two wings, however my players quickly filled the gaps and found the goal to set a 3-1 victory."

Winning three points to continue to maintain the lead, Hà Nội have perfect momentum before the derby with Hà Nội Police in the next match.

Before the pressure in the race to the V.League 1 championship, Bandovic said that Hà Nội respects all opponents and that his team will focus on perfecting their play.

He added: “With all respect to the teams in the national premiere league, I must say that the biggest opponent in the race to the championship of Hà Nội is ourselves. We must always improve the quality of the game and maintain stability through each match to achieve the championship goal. In a season where the league has too many breaks, I think the team that maintains the best consistency will win the title."

The 1-3 loss to Hà Nội also marked the fifth loss in a row for Hải Phòng at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium.

After the match, coach Chu Đình Nghiêm said he regretted that his players could not take advantage of the opportunities created.

"Hải Phòng players were perfectionists," Nghiêm said.

"They were indecisive in some important situations. It was a pity that we did not have the strongest players when striker Yuri Mamute was injured. Other players like Joseph Mpande, Hải Huy and Xuân Trường have just recovered and are not in good form."

The match between Hải Phòng and Hà Nội Club is also the second match in the league that VAR was applied.

Coach Nghiêm said that he found the referee was too dependent on this assistive technology.

"The referee has to wait for the decision of VAR in all situations on the field, this is contrary to what I know in tournaments around the world. Also, the main referee did not check the VAR screen himself, only based entirely on the report of the consulting team," Nghiêm said.

In the match, Hải Phòng fans continued to leave an unsightly image when lighting flares at Hàng Đẫy Stadium.

About this issue, Nghiêm said: "I think that lighting flares is dangerous for the fan community. The Hải Phòng fans should comply with the regulations of the organising board to make the tournament fine." — VNS