V-League violence increases during World Cup season
While the audience dropped to a record low because of the interest in the 2018 World Cup, those who came to the stadium had to witness unsightly matches in the V-League. Even more sadly, the unsightliness also came from the stands.
At Thong Nhat Stadium in the 18th round of V-League, referee Truong Hong Vu gave two red cards in one minute to Anh Vu (Sai Gon) and Omar (Thanh Hoa) because they could not control their temper. Immediately, Thanh Hoa fans in the stands cursed, booed, and threw strange objects onto the field.
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| Many incidents in the stands occurred in round 18 of V-League. Photo: Gia Hung |
In the final minutes, players from both teams wanted to rush at each other after goalkeeper Buu Ngoc crudely dived to waste time in order to preserve the score.
A red card also appeared at Hoa Xuan Stadium when Huu Phuc was sent off by referee Tran Trung Hieu in the first half. Hai Phong, with one less player, could not get a single point. This was the third consecutive match that Hai Phong could not win.
Despite the victory, coach Minh Phuong was very dissatisfied with the refereeing. Mr. Phuong expressed his displeasure when many of the players maliciously tackled the ball, causing injuries to players but they were penalized. "All of that was the referee's judgment. These impacts greatly affected the match," the captain of Da Nang expressed.
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| Nam Dinh fans jumped onto the field to assault the referee. Photo: Gia Hung |
Meanwhile, coach Truong Viet Hoang was equally indignant: “It would have been more reasonable for the referee to give a warning. In this match, our players were frustrated with the referee's way of handling the game, so they committed fouls and received many yellow cards.”
The climax of a match that damaged the image of the tournament was when Nam Dinh fans jumped onto the field to assault the referee and beat reporters at Thien Truong Stadium, to protest the referee blowing the whistle to end the match early and the away team wasting time.
All of this creates a picture of V-League full of violence and ugliness, right in the World Cup season with top-notch, beautiful matches.