Tran Tien
Football Tribe Vietnam
Hanoi have shortened the gap with Ho Chi Minh City after Round 17, when they beat Saigon 4-1 while Ho Chi Minh City drew at Thanh Hoa.
In Thong Nhat Stadium, Hanoi eased their way to recording a victory over Saigon with an emphatic 4-1 scoreline. Striker Pape Omar found the net twice while Van Quyet and Quang Hai also got on the scoresheet for the defending champions.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City dropped points against when they visited the Thanh Hoa Stadium. Despite the goal-heavy match, the game ended level between both teams. Chung Hae-song’s side took the lead after just two minutes thanks to the rocket strike from Vu Anh Tuan.
In the second half, Victor Mansarray doubled the visitors’ lead, before they were pegged back with two quick strikes from the hosts. Vu Quang Nam thought he had won it for his side with his goal in the 87th minute, but a stoppage-time header from center-back Nguyen Minh Tung meant the sides had to share the spoils at 3-3.
With these results, Ho Chi Minh City now has 34 pts after 17 matches, while Hanoi have 33. These two teams will meet each other in the next round on the July 26th of July in a decisive match.