V-League 2018: A round full of surprises

It must be said that this round was full of exciting and unexpected comebacks, giving fans of each team a range of emotions as they watched the matches. At the very least, it made the final matches of this year's V-League less boring, as the championship title seemed already decided.

Two rain showers at Hang Day Stadium

This was a round where the home teams didn't lose, but that didn't diminish the surprises, even unbelievable ones, of the V-League. At Hang Day Stadium, Chu Dinh Nghiem's ​​team, which had been "unbeatable," suddenly conceded three goals in 12 minutes, from the 53rd to the 65th minute. Foreign player Pereira scored a brace, and the remaining goal was scored by Vu The Vuong - a relatively new name since the beginning of the season.

The Nam Dinh players caused a major upset by leaving Hang Day Stadium with an unbelievable 3-3 draw. Photo: VPF

It's worth noting that two of Nam Dinh's three goals were scored by Pereira and substitute The Vuong against three home defenders. The young The Vuong made national team center-back Dinh Trong look like an apprentice, and Duy Manh wasn't much better before that.

For some reason, in a match where Oseni was absent, neither Samson nor Van Quyet could find the back of the net against Thien Esele, despite having several clear scoring opportunities. It was a match reminiscent of the clash between Hanoi FC and hosts Saigon FC, where the capital city's defenders suddenly played carelessly, conceding five goals.

Even more surprisingly, in the final 7 minutes of the match, Hanoi FC scored three goals in quick succession, including a penalty by Van Quyet resulting from a handball by a Nam Dinh player. While Quang Hai scored a spectacular long-range shot with his left foot, the ball weaving through a crowd of players from both teams before bouncing into the net, Van Hau, the tallest defender on the field, scored a header to extinguish any hopes of securing three points for coach Van Sy.

A worthwhile match for the 8,000 fans who braved the rain to cheer on both teams, making the final rounds of the 2018 V-League even more unpredictable. There were two rain showers at Hang Day Stadium; the rain outside made the atmosphere cooler, and the "rain of six goals" sent the audience into a frenzy of excitement.

The look of a big team.

The home team in Vinh secured their seventh consecutive victory, which was not surprising given the current standings of the two teams. What the fans at Vinh Stadium had been waiting for arrived: the resilience of a big team as they came from behind to win 2-1 against Quang Nam.

Last year, despite scoring two early goals at Vinh Stadium, they ultimately left empty-handed with a 2-4 defeat. This year, however, they managed to do the opposite.

SLNA still conceded a goal from a high ball situation because marking the 1.85m tall foreign player De Olivera was not easy, and they also couldn't prevent Dinh Thanh Trung from creating chances from the left wing.

Van Duc and the SLNA players are aiming for their eighth consecutive victory. Photo: Duc Anh

But the current SLNA lineup can continuously pressure the visiting team's defense to score two goals, come back and win all three points. It's a match where new signing Jeremie Lynch still has a lot to work on to secure a place in the SLNA lineup, and Olaha, freed from defensive duties, will be much more dangerous.

There's still a lot of work to be done, but it's clear that after 7 consecutive wins, equaling Hanoi FC's record this season and just one win away from the V-League record held by Gach DTLA, SLNA has the makings of a big team.

The last group is unpredictable.

The biggest surprise was the comeback by Coach Miura's team. Despite a 13-match winless streak and being 2 goals down against SHB Da Nang, they staged an incredibly impressive comeback. The 31-year-old goalkeeper Le Van Hung's tackle on foreign player Matias not only resulted in a red card but also inadvertently highlighted the Chilean striker's hat-trick, securing all three valuable points.

This victory by Ho Chi Minh City has significantly shifted the relegation zone, and XSKT.Can Tho is now teetering on the brink of disaster after their 1-3 defeat at Pleiku.

The fact that FLC Thanh Hoa and Hai Phong both drew 1-1 with Quang Ninh and B. Binh Duong accurately reflected the capabilities of the home teams. Meanwhile, S. Khanh Hoa showed they deserved the title of "poor but good team" by easily defeating visiting Saigon 2-1 to consolidate their second place position.