V.League 2017: Who will top the standings?

(Baonghean.vn) - Can Tho Lottery Company will face Hanoi, while FLC Thanh Hoa will meet Than Quang Ninh in the rescheduled matches of Round 11 of the Toyota V.League on the afternoon of June 9th. Except for Can Tho Lottery Company, theoretically all three teams have a chance to take the lead in the standings, therefore these two matches are attracting considerable attention from fans.

With the second leg schedule requiring FLC Thanh Hoa to host SHB Da Nang, and Hanoi FC to face Hai Phong (followed by SHB Da Nang), both strong teams, both Hanoi FC and FLC Thanh Hoa are eager to secure three points in their rescheduled matches. Interestingly, FLC Thanh Hoa, playing at home, faces a tough opponent in Than Quang Binh. Although Chu Dinh Nghiem's ​​team is only facing the bottom-ranked team, the match is far from easy, as the team from Tay Do is fighting to avoid relegation.

Welcome gift

Croatian striker Edin Junuzovic (right) of FLC Thanh Hoa is valued at 500,000 euros by Transfermarkt, equivalent to over 12 billion Vietnamese dong. Photo: Internet.

Due to the interruption of the 2017 V.League season, it's difficult to accurately assess the current form of the players from the four teams. In the National Cup, FLC Thanh Hoa suffered a crushing 1-5 defeat against SHB Da Nang, and Hanoi FC also lost on penalties to SLNA. The common point between the two teams is their undisguised ambition to compete for the 2017 V.League championship.

FLC Thanh Hoa is actively investing in strengthening its squad with both foreign and domestic players. The team has spent a significant amount to recruit Le Van Thang from Hai Phong, buying out his contract. Despite already having the excellent duo of Omar and Uche, FLC Thanh Hoa is also conducting trials for striker Edin Junuzovic. The Croatian player, standing at 1.88m tall, is valued at €500,000 by Transfermarkt, equivalent to over 12 billion Vietnamese dong.

Midfielder Hoang Thinh and new signing Le Van Thang have fully recovered from their injuries and are ready to return to playing. Coach Petrovic himself understands that winning the V-League championship is not easy, so he has to take each match carefully.

This time, FLC Thanh Hoa's attack will face a defense recently revamped by coach Phan Thanh Hung. After parting ways with center-back Ramon, Than Quang Ninh decided to sign Brazilian center-back Marcus Silva, who graduated from the Atletico Paranaense academy, one of the most famous teams in Brazil.

The 27-year-old Brazilian center-back has a good physique (1.84m tall, 83kg) and possesses a very powerful left foot. Marcus Vinicius is very strong in one-on-one challenges and in covering for his teammates. With a solid defense, the wingers Minh Tuan and Xuan Tu can confidently focus their efforts on attacking, and Xuan Tu is eager to score a goal as a debut gift to the national team's coaching staff.

The home team avoided relegation.

Hanoi FC, the visiting team, hasn't made any significant additions to their squad, but Hung Dung, Duy Manh, Van Kien, and especially Quang Hai are all improving with each round. Hanoi FC is also considered much stronger than XSKT Can Tho ahead of tomorrow's match. Despite a poor start to the season due to their participation in the AFC Cup, the Hanoi team is always highly regarded for the tactical acumen of both the coaching staff and the players.

As analyzed above, in order to maintain their top position in the standings, Hanoi FC needs 3 points before facing Hai Phong and SHB Da Nang in the second leg of the V.League 2017.

Therefore, in the Round of 16 of the National Cup, the Hanoi FC coaching staff allowed their foreign players to rest before facing a highly motivated SLNA team.

Than Quang Ninh's Brazilian center-back Marcus Silva is a product of the renowned Atletico Paranaense academy. Photo: Internet.

Hanoi FC's opponent, XSKT Can Tho, is currently ranked 13th in the standings with only 7 points. In the 12 matches played in the first half of the season, Can Tho only scored 14 goals – a number only slightly higher than bottom-placed Long An. To prepare for the signing of new player Adelaja, XSKT Can Tho will have to part ways with one of their two foreign strikers, Jose Nsi and Kisekka Henry. These two strikers scored 9 goals in the first half of the season but did not truly satisfy the coaching staff.

Five years ago, Abraham Adelaja played in the V.League for Khanh Hoa FC. Overall, Adelaja possesses experience, physical strength, and excellent heading ability, and is already familiar with Vietnamese football pitches. Adelaja's arrival is expected to improve the attack and help XSKT Can Tho avoid relegation.

As direct competitors for the championship, neither Hanoi FC nor FLC Thanh Hoa want to lose points in their rescheduled match. Furthermore, Than Quang Ninh, only one win behind the two teams, is also not ready to surrender, and coach Phan Thanh Hung is not yet ready to give up. Therefore, who will top the league table after this round is a difficult question to answer.

AT