HÀ NỘI — The first leg of the V.League has ended, as the most valuable players have been selected to join the team of stars.

So it was no surprise that Hải Phòng, who is leading the tournament, has three players on the list.

Goalkeeper Đinh Xuân Việt, who is renowned for his excellent shot-stopping and for being a vocal organiser of the defence, which kept Hải Phòng from suffering only eight goals after 13 matches.

At present, Lê Văn Phú is said to be the best defender in V.League. The naturalized player is also a secret weapon when taking part in attacks.

Anthony Stevens is one of four midfielders who were selected for this team. The Jamaican is skilled and has good speed, which helps him in both defence and attacks. He is also one of the three best scorers in V.League’s first leg, with eight goals.

Former champions Hà Nội T&T has two representatives, with midfielder Phạm Thành Lương  and striker Hoàng Vũ Samson on the all-star team.

Lương, who is a key player of his club and the national team, is always a threat to any defence thanks to his advanced technique, despite his small size. He is the main ball provider to T&T’s forward duo, Loris Arnaud and Samson. The 27-year-old has also scored incredible goals.

Samson is shining in the V.League. He plays a key role in pushing Hà Nội T&T from the lower ranks to the fifth position in the ranking. Samson has netted 11 goals and is seated atop the best scorer table. With 120 goals since 2007, Samson is the best ever striker in Vietnamese football history.

Two other defenders in the list are Trần Văn Vũ of Sanna Khánh Hòa and Quế Ngọc Hải of Sông Lam Nghệ An.

Captain Vũ made an impression with his smart style, which earned him a place as the first choice leftback, with a permanent starting position in the two seasons that Khánh Hòa played in the V.League.
Hải started the tournament later than other players because of his ban. However, his outstanding performance on his return strengthened Sông Lam Nghệ An’s defence.

This performance brought him a place on the national team in the latest summons in March.

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai is struggling to avoid the SOS area in the V.League, though their midfielder, Vũ Văn Thanh, made the list.

The multipurpose winger displays skilful techniques, and his sprint is unbelievable. He excited the public with his right-footed goals after soloing from the central area.

None can deny the importance of Oloya Moses in Becamex Bình Dương. The centre- midfielder has superior build, strength and stamina.

According to coach Nguyễn Thanh Sơn, Moses makes up 30 per cent of his team’s power.

However the Ugandan player has decided to leave V.League, as Russia’s Kuban Krasnodar have chosen him for their coming tournament.

Sơn said Moses wanted to test his skills in a higher level football competition, and Bình Dương cannot keep him.

In the last day of registration for the V.League’s second leg yesterday, Moses was not named.

Sơn did not reveal, though rumours spread that the new club would pay at least US$400,000 for Moses.

Striker Trịnh Duy Long is considered the most interesting discovery of Sài Gòn FC. He is one of the rare local players who has earned a permanent position against foreigners in the front lines.
With six goals after 13 matches, Long is the best Vietnamese forward in the V.League.

The last name on the list is Gaston Merlo from SHB Đà Nẵng. Returning to action after much rest due to an injury, Merlo is the top choice in SHB Đà Nẵng’s attacking line. He scored 10 goals, contributing more than 50 per cent of the team’s total 18 goals. He is the second highest scorer in V.League. — VNS