V-League 2015 concludes: Dong Nai relegated.

The team from the Southeast region failed to turn their 1% chance of survival into a miracle, suffering a crushing 1-4 defeat away at Quang Ninh.

Results of Round 26 of V-League 2015

Dong Nai entered the final round of the season at the bottom of the table and no longer had control over their own destiny. To remain in the V-League, coach Tran Binh Su's team had to win against Quang Ninh and simultaneously hope that Can Tho also lost against Quang Nam.

As if to realize coach Tran Binh Su's pre-match declaration, "fight to the end even with only 1% hope and believe in a miracle," Dong Nai started very well. They opened the scoring in the ninth minute, thanks to a successful penalty kick by foreign player Christian Amougou.

Dong Nai (in green) was unable to remain in the V-League. Photo: Duc Dong.

However, Dong Nai failed to capitalize on that impressive start to build momentum towards a favorable result that would have been essential for their survival in the league. In the first half, the visitors allowed the home team Quang Ninh to turn the tables, taking a 2-1 lead thanks to a brace from national team player Vu Minh Tuan in the 22nd and 41st minutes.

At the start of the second half, Quang Ninh dealt another fatal blow to the already fragile hopes of the visiting team with a close-range finish from Nguyen Hai Huy, increasing the score to 3-1.

Dong Nai then almost gave up, and it was inevitable that they would concede more goals in the remaining time. Quang Ninh only had to wait until the 59th minute to seal the 4-1 victory, when Van Hieu crossed the ball into the penalty area for Mac Hong Quan to head it into the net past goalkeeper Thanh Diep.

This 4-1 defeat officially relegated Dong Nai to the First Division. However, even if they had met the necessary condition – a win against Quang Ninh – the team from the Southeast region wouldn't have secured the "sufficient condition," because in the simultaneous match, Can Tho drew 0-0 with hosts Quang Nam.

Can Tho (green jerseys) and HAGL (light blue jerseys) have secured their safety from relegation. Photo: Thuy Dung.

The results in Quang Ninh and Quang Nam mean Dong Nai remains rooted at the bottom of the table with 21 points. Can Tho finished in 11th place with 25 points, one point more than the next two teams, HAGL and Dong Thap.

At the top of the table, Binh Duong, who had already secured the championship, affirmed their rightful status as the reigning champions of this season's V-League by comfortably defeating hosts Dong Thap 4-2. Behind the champions, the remaining two positions in the top 3 remained unchanged.

Hanoi T&T secured second place with a 3-1 victory away at Dong Tam Long An, finishing as runners-up with 46 points. Thanh Hoa, after a 0-0 draw away at Da Nang, received the bronze medal with two points less.

Final standings of the V-League 2015

According to VNE