Ninh Binh lost their first-half championship title after a 1-2 defeat against HAGL.
The unexpected home defeat in V-League Round 13 meant Ninh Binh FC missed out on the top spot, while assistant coach Dinh Xuan Viet admitted the team was frustrated by HAGL's pragmatic playing style.
On the evening of February 7th, Round 13 of the LPBank V-League witnessed an unbelievable scenario as title contender Ninh Binh FC suffered a 1-2 defeat against Hoang Anh Gia Lai at home. This second consecutive loss not only ended the team's winning streak but also officially deprived them of the chance to clinch the first-half championship title just before the Lunar New Year holiday.
Confused by HAGL's pragmatic playing style.
In the post-match press conference, assistant coach Dinh Xuan Viet — who represented head coach Gerard Albadalejo, who was serving a coaching ban — frankly pointed out the reasons for the unfavorable result. Viet admitted that Ninh Binh's defense failed to maintain the necessary concentration against the opponent's sharp counter-attacks.
"Hoang Anh Gia Lai played very strategically. The goals conceded came at times we completely didn't anticipate," Mr. Viet shared. Although the coaching staff made adjustments after the loss to Hanoi Police, it's clear that the team from the ancient capital was still not prepared enough to counter the disciplined style of play implemented by the team from the mountainous region.
Pressure on new players
Besides the final result, the performance of the new players was also a focus of public attention. Vietnamese-born player Tran Thanh Trung, despite starting in the lineup for the second time, still failed to show the best connection with his teammates in the attack.
Similarly, the case of Vietnam U23 player Le Van Thuan — who recently transferred from Thanh Hoa — has also not yet made much of an impression. Evaluating his players, assistant coach Dinh Xuan Viet believes that young players and new talents need more time to fully adapt to the intensity of play and the philosophy of their new team. He emphasized that Thanh Trung has played his role well and expects him to perform even better in the coming period.
The opportunity is still there in the second half of the season.
Despite suffering a bitter defeat just before the long break, the Ninh Binh Club coaching staff maintains an optimistic attitude about the long race ahead. With 13 rounds remaining in the league, the points gap can certainly be closed if the team learns from their mistakes in time.
"The V-League still has a long way to go, and anything can happen. We still have a chance in the championship race," assistant coach Dinh Xuan Viet affirmed. This defeat is seen as a necessary wake-up call for Ninh Binh to seriously reassess the shortcomings in their playing style before entering the fierce second half of the season.
