Da Nang players in wheelchairs after SLNA match

Midfielder Anh Khoa may have to undergo surgery because of Que Ngoc Hai's rough tackle in the match of round 25 of V-League 2015 last weekend.

Mr. Khoa on crutches when the team arrived in Da Nang today. Photo: Huy Vo.

The match at Vinh Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw. However, the most notable point so far was a ball dispute in the 21st minute. Midfielder Anh Khoa, in an attempt to penetrate close to SLNA's penalty area, was kicked in the knee by defender Ngoc Hai with both legs. The away team player was unable to continue playing and had to leave the field on a stretcher. Speaking to VnExpress, coach Le Huynh Duc was upset: "The referee only gave a yellow card for such a move. What makes me sadder is that Ngoc Hai is a national team player, playing football without respecting his colleagues."

After having to postpone their flight due to storms, coach Le Huynh Duc and his team arrived in Da Nang this afternoon, September 15. “Mr. Khoa now has to use a wheelchair or crutches to get around. His knee is still swollen and full of fluid, so it is impossible to take X-rays,” he said.

According to the diagnosis of the Da Nang team doctor, it is very likely that this player has torn knee ligaments and will have to undergo surgery.

For his part, Ngoc Hai affirmed that he did not intend to hurt his colleague. "When I saw the opponent preparing to enter the penalty area, I rushed out with the sole thought of clearing the ball out of bounds. It was a 50-50 chance, and unfortunately caused a collision with Anh Khoa. As a fellow professional, I feel guilty, but my conscience is clear because I did not do it on purpose," the center back of the Vietnam national team and SLNA emphasized. "After the match, I asked about him, and recently called Anh Khoa. He said that his knee was vulnerable, so even a slight collision was dangerous. I apologized and hope he will return soon."

In addition to the collision above, the match in the penultimate round also had many ugly situations. In the 50th minute, midfielder Tran Phi Son of SLNA hit Van Hoc, as a way to retaliate for the previous foul play by the away team's defender. About three minutes later, Ngoc Toan received a second yellow card and was sent off for diving into a Da Nang player with both legs.

“There should have been three red cards for SLNA players in this match. They played too rough. Most of them are national team players and playing like that is unacceptable. I have talked about this issue many times but it seems that the V-League Organizing Committee has not been able to resolve it,” coach Huynh Duc emphasized.

According to VNE