Striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh (left) opened the score for Bình Dương in the first half of the match against Hải Phòng on Saturday. — Photo tienphong.vn

Football

BÌNH DƯƠNG Bình Dương coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn expressed his dissatisfaction with his team’s performance in their 1-1 draw against Hải Phòng in V.League 1 on Saturday.

At Gò Đậu Stadium, Bình Dương took an early lead when striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh converted from the penalty spot in the 25th minute. However, they settled for just one point after Hải Phòng's Hữu Sơn equalised in the second half.

Following the match, coach Tuấn shared his frustration.

“The draw against Hải Phòng FC at home is hard to accept. Our goal was to secure three points, and we failed to achieve that. We did not play well," he said.

"Near the end of the match, we replaced two foreign players and Trần Trung Hiếu. Objective factors, such as the rain over the past three weeks, made it difficult to play on the pitch. Hải Phòng played well, proactively controlling the ball and attacking, while we did not meet our expectations.”

Despite the draw, Tuấn was pleased with Tiến Linh’s performance.

He said; “I mentioned before the tournament that Linh is the number one striker in Vietnamese football today. He has three goals in two matches and is in excellent form. He will continue to be our key player."

Bình Dương's next match is against Hà Nội Police Club at Hàng Đẫy Stadium on September 30, a contest predicted to be extremely challenging for Coach Tuấn’s squad.

Tuấn added: “In theory, Hà Nội Police are one of the strongest teams in the tournament. However, after two matches, their performance has varied. Theory often differs from reality. Bình Dương will play our way while respecting all opponents.

“This will not be an easy match for us. Hà Nội Police are eager to win. But I am confident that Bình Dương has the strength to compete.” VNS