HÀ NỘI — The match between Becamex Bình Dương and FLC Thanh Hóa today is being considered the central match at the 13th round of V.League 1.

Round 13 is the last round of the first leg of the national premier league. Hải Phòng are sure to take the lead at this leg with 29 points after 12 matches. The remaining positions in the rankings are subject to change based on upcoming matches.

At present, Bình Dương rank fifth out of 14 teams with 19 points, while Thanh Hóa are second with 22 points. So the two teams also want to earn three points to chase Hải Phòng.

The match has caught the attention of fans and media nationwide. There are several players of Thanh Hóa who used to play for Bình Dương. Among them are Coach Lê Thụy Hải, midfielders Mai Tiến Thành, Nguyễn Tăng Tuấn and Hoàng Văn Bình, and striker Emmanuel Sunday.

Meanwhile, Bình Dương’s striker Ivan Firer is also determined to score goals against Thanh Hóa, who sacked Firer in May.

Bình Dương have received good news ahead the match against their rival. Their key player, midfielder Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng, has completely recovered from his injury and is ready for the coming match. Hoàng is a member of Việt Nam’s national football team.

“Hoàng will be present at the match against Thanh Hóa,” said coach Nguyễn Thanh Sơn. “The coming match is very difficult for us, but we still set a target of having three points to nearly reach the No 1 position in the rankings.”

Thanh Hóa finished third in the 2014-15 season under young coach Hoàng Thanh Tùng. The team is determined to improve its strength with the aim of winning the league for the first time this year. Bình Dương are four-time V.League champions.

In other news, Sài Gòn FC are hoping to beat Cần Thơ today.

“Sài Gòn FC will have the strongest line-up for their match against Cần Thơ with the presence of midfielder Andrew Mwesigwa and striker Dudu Lima,” said Sài Gòn FC’s chairman, Nguyễn Giang Đông. “And with the encouragement of HCM City fans, the team will make every effort to win.”

Elsewhere, matches include: Đồng Tháp against Sanna Khánh Hòa; Long An against Quảng Ninh Coal; SHB Đà Nẵng against Hải Phòng; Hoàng Anh Gia Lai against Quảng Nam; and Sông Lam Nghệ An against Hà Nội T&T. — VNS