U23 Vietnam 'Star' Could Not Help Viettel Avoid Defeat at National Cup
Viettel captain Bui Tien Dung, despite playing extremely well for Vietnam U23, on the opening day of the new season, this central defender could not help his team avoid defeat in Quy Nhon.
The army team, "The Cong successor", these beautiful phrases for Viettel in their journey of trying to regain their lost brand helped Quy Nhon stadium on the afternoon of April 8 have more spectators than usual.
Compared to Viettel, Binh Dinh is not rated higher besides the home field advantage. Many Binh Dinh fans even come to the stadium just to cheer for the successors of the team they once loved. The presence of U23 Vietnam player Bui Tien Dung also increased the attention of the fans.
But Viettel, led by captain Tien Dung, could not show much other than a pale face throughout the 90 minutes. Right from the 2nd minute, Quoc Nhat dribbled into the penalty area quite comfortably before defeating goalkeeper The Tai at a narrow angle. Although there was still a lot of time left, Viettel could not succeed even once in their efforts to find an equalizer.
Viettel’s defeat in the opening match of this year’s National Cup is the first and biggest surprise so far. And who knows, maybe the rest of the tournament will have similar things to attract fans to the stadium.
In the match at Long An Stadium, the club that was just relegated from the V-League played at home against Cong An Nhan Dan but they almost left the game. In the 12th minute, Tuan Anh put the home team ahead but before the end of the first half, Manh Duy brought the match back to balance. The second half had no more goals, forcing the two teams to decide on penalties and Long An advanced with an 11-10 victory. In the round of 16, they will face FLC Thanh Hoa away.
The match on April 9th promises to be more exciting when the clubs in the V-League enter the competition. The focus is on Pleiku Stadium when the home team HAGL will host Than Quang Ninh. The match is between two extremes, one side is the top club in the V-League, the other team is in the bottom group. The home team HAGL may find it difficult to compete with Than Quang Ninh at this time, especially when the away team is in good form.
However, in Pleiku, it is not certain that coach Phan Thanh Hung and his team will give their all. Simply because for many years, Than Quang Ninh has not been "crazy" about the National Cup. Meanwhile, if the home team wants to prove themselves, this is their most practical goal. "The children of Mr. Duc" will be more realistic when investing in this playground that few clubs are passionate about.
The highlight match of the first round of the National Cup could become more exciting if Than Quang Ninh play all out to prove that they are not simply competing with Hanoi for the top spot.
At Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City will theoretically have an easier time against a Dong Thap team that is mostly young. It would be very lame to mention the expertise because Coach Miura's Ho Chi Minh City has a much better quality squad. The city team also has a very high goal in this year's tournament (reaching the final).
They have been "warming up" recently, so it is difficult for Dong Thap to talk about "winning or losing" this afternoon. However, it is quite fateful that if they win this match, Ho Chi Minh City will face SLNA, their very familiar opponent in Vinh city, in the round of 16.
In the remaining two matches, the balance is also tilted towards the V-League clubs. In particular, Hanoi will not easily let the shock of being eliminated early by Dak Lak right at Hang Day. The young stars of Hanoi Club who rarely play in the V-League will still beat the team from the Central Highlands who only aim to stay in the First Division this year.
At Tu Do, the slight home field advantage did not help Hue compete with Sanna Khanh Hoa BVN - a team that is always arrogant against all opponents.
Results on April 8:
Binh Dinh – Viettel: 1-0
F.Tay Ninh – Binh Phuoc: 0-1
Long An – People's Police: 1-1 (pen 11-10)
Match schedule on April 9:
15:30, Tu Do Stadium: Hue - Sanna Khanh Hoa BVN
5:00 p.m., Pleiku Stadium: HAGL – Than Quang Ninh (Sports TV TTTT)
6:00 p.m., Hang Day Stadium: Hanoi - Dak Lak (Football TV TTTT)
6pm, Thong Nhat Stadium: Ho Chi Minh City – Dong Thap
