After round 18 of V.League: SLNA plummets, HAGL and Nam Dinh soar
(Baonghean.vn) - The 7 matches of the 18th round of V.League ended without any significant changes in the top teams, but there were significant changes in the middle of the rankings.
The most notable match of the first round ended with a draw between the two top teams, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, making the number 1 positions on the rankings still belong to the team from the city named after Uncle Ho.
And when the two teams right above each other held each other, Than Quang Ninh, in their away match against the bottom team Khanh Hoa, could not take advantage to narrow the gap and only got a draw.
 |
| Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City shared points in the most notable match of the round. Photo: VPF |
At the end of the 18th round, Khanh Hoa only had 14 points, 5 points less than Quang Nam and there are still many big challenges awaiting the coastal city team in the sprint race ahead.
 |
| Khanh Hoa continues to lose ground in the relegation race when it cannot beat Viettel at home. Photo: VPF |
Before the 18th round, Nam Dinh was ranked 9th on the rankings while SLNA still maintained a position in the top 5 despite not having good results in the first matches of the second leg. The encounter between the two teams at Thien Truong Stadium, SLNA only hopes to get a draw when visiting Nam Dinh this season to get points is not easy for any team.
Although they had a solid first half and created many chances, it was not enough to make up for the mistakes and lack of concentration of SLNA's defense in the second half, allowing Sy Minh and Xuan Quyet to score 2 goals in less than 10 minutes. 2-0 was also the final result of the match, the two teams changed places on the rankings. Nam Dinh entered the top 5 teams, while SLNA dropped to the 9th position that their opponent had previously held.
Another team that also played very well in this round was HAGL. Facing a Thanh Hoa team that had strong reforms and continuously achieved favorable results in the past rounds, the Mountain City team with the brilliance of Van Toan, Xuan Truong and Minh Vuong won a thrilling 3-2 victory right at home in Pleiku to get 3 valuable points, temporarily leaving the team at the bottom of the table with 8 more points, and at the same time causing the away team to fall from 4th to 6th place.
 |
| The defeat against Binh Duong caused Hai Phong to drop to 12th place on the rankings. Photo: VPF |
 |
| V.League 2019 standings after the end of round 18. Photo: VTC |
