Song Lam Nghe An lost heavily to Hai Phong at Lach Tray Stadium

In the final match, although there is almost no chance to compete for the championship with Hanoi, Hai Phong has the advantage of playing at home so they are determined to defeat Song Lam Nghe An, as a gift to thank the fans.

On the opposite side, Song Lam Nghe An is ranked 5th on the V-League 2022 rankings with 30 points, 5 points behind Viettel (currently ranked 4th) and 2 points ahead of some teams below. In the last 5 rounds, Song Lam Nghe An's performance has been erratic. However, fans of the Nghe team still hope that coach Nguyen Huy Hoang and his team will show a positive performance on Lach Tray field.

Song Lam Nghe An's starting lineup in the match against Hai Phong. Photo: Chung Le.

In this match, the away team suffered a big loss in defense when the central defenders Que Ngoc Hai and Thai Ba Sang were both suspended. Taking their place in front of goalkeeper Van Tien's goal were captain Hoang Van Khanh and young player Hoang Khac Luong. Guarding the two wings were Tran Dinh Dong and Mai Sy Hoang. The 4 midfielders Trong Hoang, Xuan Manh, Dinh Tien and Van Cuong were tasked with supporting the foreign strikers Olaha and Oseni.

In the first minute of the match, midfielder Ho Van Cuong unleashed a powerful long-range shot, forcing Hai Phong goalkeeper Dinh Trieu to dive to block. However, after that, the home team completely dominated the game.

Veteran player Trong Hoang played aggressively in the central midfield position but could not help the visiting team Song Lam Nghe An have a good match against Hai Phong. Photo: Chung Le.

In the 10th minute, Trieu Viet Hung took a free kick outside the penalty area, the ball hit the wall and then went over the goal of Song Lam Nghe An, signaling a difficult match for goalkeeper Van Tien.

9 minutes later, Hai Phong fans at Lach Tray Stadium celebrated the opening goal when Mpande dribbled hard on the right wing and crossed the ball, Viet Hung used his chest to create a wall just in time for captain Hai Huy to volley beautifully past goalkeeper Van Tien.

Hai Phong fans cheer on their team players at Lach Tray Stadium. Photo: Chung Le.

In the 21st minute, a Hai Phong player was pulled down in the penalty area and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Striker Mpande did not miss the opportunity to increase the score to 2-0.

2 minutes before the end of the first half, Mpande completed his hat-trick in this match, easily tapping the ball into Song Lam Nghe An's net from a cross from his teammate on the right wing. The two teams ended the first half with a score of 3-0 in favor of the home team Hai Phong.

An attack by SLNA in the first half. Photo: Chung Le

Entering the second half, Song Lam Nghe An made a series of substitutions when Hoang Van Khanh, Tran Dinh Dong and Mai Sy Hoang left the field, giving way to Phan Van Duc, Dinh Xuan Tien and Tran Manh Quynh.

With these changes, Pham Xuan Manh was pulled back to play as a central defender, Tran Manh Quynh took on the role of right-back and Dinh Xuan Tien replaced Xuan Manh as a holding midfielder. Thanks to that, the away team played better in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Micheal Olaha passed the ball to Phan Van Duc, but the ball went a bit too hard and was under the control of goalkeeper Dinh Trieu.

In the 63rd minute, the score was shortened to 1-3 for Song Lam Nghe An. Olaha kept the ball well in the middle of the field and then passed the ball down to Tran Manh Quynh who ran down the right wing. Without too much pressure from Hai Phong defenders, Manh Quynh comfortably crossed inside for Phan Van Duc to tap the ball into the net from close range.

Striker Oseni (Song Lam Nghe An) played poorly on Lach Tray field. Photo: Chung Le

However, despite his efforts afterwards, Phan Van Duc's goal was the only bright spot of the match. Without a good position against Hai Phong, in the 90th minute, Song Lam Nghe An's defense played like they were sleepwalking when they let Trieu Viet Hung escape down the right wing and in an unmarked position, this former U23 Vietnam player unleashed a powerful shot that hit the net of goalkeeper Van Tien.

In the last 3 minutes of extra time, the defense of the away team Song Lam Nghe An had to brace themselves against the relentless attacks of the home team. However, no more goals were scored. In the end, Song Lam Nghe An suffered a 1-4 defeat to Hai Phong. This result, along with Hanoi's 2-0 victory over Hong Linh Ha Tinh, ensured the championship for the capital team, while Hai Phong won the runner-up position.

In the final round, Song Lam Nghe An had a formal match against the new champion Hanoi at Vinh Stadium.