Quang Ninh leaves empty-handed, Binh Duong suffers a comeback defeat.

While Quang Ninh lost 0-1 at home to Thanh Hoa, Binh Duong suffered a 1-3 defeat away to Dong Tam Long An. In the remaining match, Da Nang drew 1-1 with Quang Nam.

Quang Ninh enters round seven with a major blow to their defense.With two key players, Minh Tung and Bat Hieu, suspended, Thanh Hoa suffered an injury just 12 minutes into the match. Despite his efforts to continue playing, he was forced to leave the field after eight minutes, being replaced by Mac Hong Quan. In contrast, Thanh Hoa, with the return of Dinh Tung, Patrick da Silva, and Sy Cuong, played much better than in their 0-4 defeat against Song Lam Nghe An in round six.

Despite personnel issues, fueled by the enthusiasm of over ten thousand fans in the stands, Quang Ninh still played strongly, trading blows with Thanh Hoa. If Quang Hai had finished better, the team from the mining region could have taken the lead in the first half. In the 36th minute, the striker from Khanh Hoa even beat goalkeeper Vinh Loi but sent the ball wide of the net.

Thanh Hoa immediately responded. In the 42nd minute, from a cross from the right wing, Dinh Tung positioned himself perfectly to head the ball from close range. However, goalkeeper Tuan Linh reacted quickly, diving to punch the ball away. On the other side of the pitch, To Vinh Loi also showed he was no less capable than his younger teammate. At the beginning of the second half, the Thanh Hoa goalkeeper made a spectacular save after Quang Hai's curling shot, earning applause from the audience.

While Quang Ninh's attack failed to find the net, their makeshift defense made a mistake. In the 65th minute, a defender from the mining team misjudged a clearance, allowing Da Silva to comfortably control a cross from naturalized star Le Van Tan, lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Tuan Linh to score the opening goal.

Quang Ninh (in green) has a perfect record away from home, but this is their second home defeat of the season. Photo: Lam Thoa.

After conceding a goal, coach Dinh Cao Nghia made several substitutions, bringing on Van Ngoc and Xuan Tu, pushing the team forward. The team from the mining region created numerous good scoring opportunities. However, on an unlucky day, Mac Hong Quan hit the post once with a shot and had a close-range header blocked once. Shortly after, Van Viet's long-range shot, although it left goalkeeper To Vinh Loi rooted to the spot, narrowly missed the post.

Despite only one goal, the clash at Cam Pha Stadium saw a staggering 10 yellow cards (divided equally between the two teams), equaling this season's record set by the Da Nang vs. Hai Phong match in round six.

At Tan An Stadium, the visiting team Binh Duong got off to a bright start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute.Thanks to a close-range tap-in from the prolific striker Tang Tuan, they managed to score. However, that was all they could do in this match, despite dominating possession and creating numerous opportunities in the remainder of the first half. One notable example was Cong Vinh's free-kick that hit the post in the 23rd minute.

The second half took an unexpected turn, especially with the resurgence of Dong Tam Long An - the only team undefeated since the start of the season. In the 53rd minute, Tai Em seized the opportunity in a scramble to equalize 1-1 for the home team. Four minutes later, Chi Cong added his name to the scoresheet with a header after a setup by Thanh Hai. In the 72nd minute, foreign player Diabate sealed Dong Tam Long An's impressive comeback with a goal to make it 3-1 after a mistake by center-back Phuoc Tu.

Binh Duong made a great effort in the remaining time to at least secure a draw, but without success. In injury time, Cong Vinh had a goal disallowed due to a clear offside violation.

Despite the defeat, Binh Duong and Quang Ninh still share the top two positions with 15 points each. With one point less, Hai Phong is in third place. Meanwhile, Dong Tam Long An and Thanh Hoa are right behind them, having both earned 13 points.

According to VNE