Van Thuan and Van Thang were named the best players of Round 8 of the V.League.

Pedro for the third time

List of the best players of the match in Round 8. Photo: VPF

Pedro didn't score in Saigon's 1-0 victory. The Brazilian player acted as a decoy in this match and was effectively surrounded by Hai Phong players. Coach Thanh Cong has used Pedro in two matches with two different roles, and he has performed quite well. This foreign player's form is helping Saigon climb higher in the V.League 2019 standings. It can be said that, having already achieved a hat-trick of "Man of the Match" awards, Pedro is a trump card in the hands of this young coach from Nghe An.

None of the four players who scored at Go Dau Stadium in Binh Duong's 2-2 draw against Hanoi were voted Man of the Match. Surprisingly, Ho Tan Tai of Binh Duong was named the winner, while many viewers would have thought To Van Vu was the more deserving player. It seems that his ability to neutralize many attacking situations from Quang Hai and the Hanoi players earned him the award.

As the player who scored a spectacular goal in SHB.Da Nang's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Than Quang Ninh, Minh Tam's selection is not surprising. Even though SHB.Da Nang didn't have the upper hand in terms of possession, the captain's powerful long-range shots were a formidable weapon for the team from the Han River.

Walsh Chevaughn was nominated, but for HAGL fans, Minh Vương was the more deserving choice. The number 8 had one assist for Walsh Chevaughn and scored one goal himself. Coach Lee Tae-hoon praised the midfielder from Thai Binh province.

He said: “Minh Vương is a very capable player. In training, Vương is very diligent and hardworking, and in matches he is always very enthusiastic. I think he will improve even more in the future. If he continues to maintain this form, I hope Vương will have a place in the Vietnamese national team.”

The fact that Olaha couldn't score and Viettel drew 0-0 with SLNA was largely thanks to the home team's captain, Tien Dung. Playing on the left wing, this defender was quite solid in both attack and defense. Currently, along with Ngoc Hai, Tien Dung, Hoang Duc, and Minh Tuan are the pillars of this newly promoted team. Tien Dung deserved the award despite his team only securing one point.

The best

For many, Van Thang and Van Thuan (Ho Chi Minh City) are the two best players of this round. Photo: VPF

Van Thuan returned from injury at a time when both Hoang Thinh and Anh Tuan were unavailable. Wearing the captain's armband, Van Thuan played the role of a tireless defensive midfielder behind Van Thanh and Huynh Kesley Alves. Even when Cong Hien of Ho Chi Minh City FC received a red card, leaving the home team playing the last 30 minutes with only 10 men, he still performed well in controlling the tempo. Van Thuan played a major role in the 2-1 victory, despite being behind and playing with ten men. More importantly, it helped Ho Chi Minh City FC reclaim their familiar top spot in the league standings.

Van Thang is becoming a key player in Thanh Hoa's attack at the moment. With Dinh Tung injured, the Thanh Hoa team has gone 7 rounds without a win and desperately needs 3 points to boost the team's morale.

The duo of Rimario and Van Thang "charged left and right" all over the field to contest for the ball. A goal in the final minutes of the match, in a game that saw five goals, gave Thanh Hoa their first three wins in the V.League 2019 and lifted them out of the bottom of the table.

For Thanh Hoa, this was perhaps their most important match of the season, and Van Thang becoming the Man of the Match with 100% of the votes is an accurate assessment. In fact, for many, Van Thang and Van Thuan (TP.HCM) were the two best players of this round, as they knew how to lift the spirits of their teammates during the most difficult times.