HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội FC shot to the top position of the V.League after registering a huge 5-1 win over Long An in a late ninth-round match yesterday.

Tied at 19 points with FLC Thanh Hóa, Hà Nội took the No. 1 spot by virtue of their better goal difference. FLC Thanh Hóa have fallen to the second position and Quảng Nam is No. 3.

Long An defenders looked confused as they struggled to resist Hà Nội’s rapid attacks. Just seven minutes into the game, Hà Nội served Long An their first goal deficit.

Defender Trần Văn Kiên, who participated in the attack, passed the ball to the box where teammate Hoàng Vũ Samson awaited and the Nigerian-born player tapped it straight into the net.

Samson made his double 23 minutes later from a close-range header after taking the ball passed from the left wing by national midfielder Nguyễn Văn Quyết.

It was his sixth goal of the season, making him one of the three best scorers now.

Quyết, who missed several chances, grabbed a goal for himself nine minutes after the interval.

Two other goals of the visitors went to former national deputy captain Phạm Thành Lương and 19-year-old Trương Văn Thái Quý.

Long An’s solitary goal came after a successful penalty by Oseni at the 90th-minute mark.

It was the hosts’ eighth defeat in a row that leaves them at the bottom of the league.

They will next meet Sài Gòn FC on April 1, while Hà Nội will visit Sanna Khánh Hòa on April 9.

In another late match yesterday, Cần Thơ tied 1-1 with Quảng Ninh Coal at their home ground.

Quảng Ninh who is targetting a top-3 place this season got the opener from Tambwe Patiyo at the 28th minute. Cần Thơ’s Uganda striker Kisekka Henry levelled it early in the second half.

The draw was a push to the team who are trying hard to escape from the SOS area.

“The first half was slow as Quảng Ninh took time to test us, while my players were under heavy pressure for a win. The second half saw better performance from the two sides. We did not win this match, but with a draw we successfully ended our series of three losses in a row,” said Vũ Quang Bảo.

“I had to talk a lot with my players before the match during the break time. I egged them on, saying ’we suffered a goal loss but there is nothing to worry. Let’s speed up and be confident, so we can equalise and even take a win’,” he said.

“We did it. It will encourage us for the next game when we play Hải Phòng at the away stadium.”

Quảng Ninh grabbed one point and jumped two steps to No. 5 in the ranking.

The team yesterday also completed a procedure to naturalise midfielder Geoffrey Kizito as a Vietnamese. The Uganda-born with the new name of Trần Trung Hiếu is expected to strengthen the team’s middle field.

Quảng Ninh’s captain Vũ Minh Tuấn and Hà Nội’s midfielder Quyết will join the national team tonight to travel to Tajikistan for the Asian Cup qualification round. — VNS