HÀ NỘI — Beating Quảng Nam 2-1 yesterday Sài Gòn FC join the V. League’s leading group with same points of 19.

Despite being visitors, Quảng Nam who are currently at third position in the ranking launched consecutive attacks to find early goal.

A win would help them to top the table for the first time in history when they meet No 1 FLC Thanh Hóa and No 2 Hà Nội FC play in the next days.

However, they were trapped by the hosts who found an opener from a counter-attack in the sixth minute.

The ball was given to Patrick Dos Santos Cruz who escaped from all Quảng Nam defenders to send the ball in.

Quảng Nam readjusted their line-up and tried to attack but their attempts were not strong enough in the first half. Everything they could do was a shot that hit the right pole at the 25th mark by naturalised player Nguyễn Trung Đại Dương.

Hoàng Văn Phúc spoke with the players a lot and they levelled the result in the early minutes of the second half.

Dương’s finish went straight to the net.

It became an equal situation for both side until Nguyễn Xuân Dương’s low shot defeated Quảng Nam’s keeper Phạm Văn Cường at the 77th minute.

It was the second win in a row of the host who are tied on 19 points with the visitors, who suffered their second straight loss.

Quảng Nam who remain on third place will next meet bottom-placed Long An while Sài Gòn who jump to No 4 will visit leader FLC Thanh Hóa on April 15. — VNS