Football

HÀ NỘI — FLC Thanh Hóa and Hà Nội FC played out a 3-3 draw, helping Quảng Nam take the top position after the 21st-round matches of the V.League yesterday.

Within five minutes after the first whistle, the two leading teams in the V.League scored a goal apiece.

Hoàng Vũ Samson needed just 36 seconds to open the score for Hà Nội FC, the visiting side, at the Thanh Hóa Stadium.

However, their lead lasted for just four minutes and a half, before Mai Tiến Thanh netted for the home side from a straight finish.

Captain Pape Omar Faye pushed Thanh Hóa ahead with the second goal in the 24th minute, with the hosts closing the first half with a 2-1 lead.

Oseni Ganiyu Bolaji brought the game to a draw with his successful shoot-out, 20 minutes after the interval.

With two goals each, the scoreboard remained unchanged until the 82nd mark when Lê Văn Thắng broke through Hà Nội’s defence and netted to the far corner of goalkeeper Nguyễn Văn Công.

However, Captain Nguyễn Văn Quyết helped his team keep a point with a strong penalty finish in the last minute.

With one point each, Thanh Hóa have bagged 38 points and Hà Nội have 36. They dropped a rung down, after Quảng Nam beat Cần Thơ 3-2 at a match in Cần Thơ City.

Nguyễn Trung Đại Dương, Phan Đình Thắng and Dos Reis Claudecir scored for Quảng Nam, while Nsi Amougou Christian Jose and Nguyễn Việt Phong made the goals for Cần Thơ.

Quảng Nam also have 38 points, but they took the top slot, surpassing Thanh Hóa, thanks to a better goal difference.

The central region representative took the No 1 place this season for the second time. They will keep the seat for at least six days, before the 22nd-round matches begin on Saturday.

In the latest match yesterday, Sanna Khánh Hòa drew with Sài Gòn in a goalless match. The draw gave Khánh Hòa one point, which was enough to propel them to the No 4 position. Sài Gòn maintained their sixth rank.

Earlier on Saturday, coach Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai resigned after his team’s fourth defeat in a row.

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai lost 0-2 to former V.League winner Sông Lam Nghệ An, although they played on their home ground in the Central Highland city of Pleiku.

“My team got poor results, and I feel I did not do a good job. I hope my successor will do it better and help the team for the remaining matches in the league,” said Tuấn, who was in charge of the team for two years.

“I had a great time with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai. I have learnt a lot in my coaching career, when I took charge of the team, which was the worst time, as it was facing relegation in the 2015-16 season. I completed the mission and was really happy with that.

“I am proud to be part of the team and have made a little contribution. However, the ups and downs are part of the job. I take responsibility for the team’s unexpected result,” he said.

Tuấn will return to training the young players at Hoàng Anh Gia Lai Football Academy.

He was replaced by Dương Minh Ninh, a seven-year coach at the club, who is currently the national U22 team coach assistant.

The new coach will get the support of new South Korean technical director Chung Hae Seong, who will start working in Việt Nam on Wednesday.

In the other matches of the round, SHB Đà Nẵng won 2-0 over Long An; Becamex Bình Dương lost 0-1 to Quảng Ninh Coal; and Hải Phòng beat HCM City 4-1. — VNS