Krishna Sadhana
Football Tribe SEA Editor
Defending Vietnamese National Cup champions Hanoi FC made short work of their first challenge on Sunday, as they duly dispatched V.League 2 side Dong Thap FC 3-0 at the Hang Day Stadium. Having shocked V.League 1 side Hai Phong FC on their way to the second round, Dong Thap were no match for the reigning V.League 1 champions as Hanoi easily outclassed the Mekong Delta side in every aspect. Playing without their foreign contingent and talisman Nguyen Van Quyet, Hanoi remained the superior side as the likes of Nguyen Quang Hai, Do Hung Dung, and Ngan Van Dai were featured for the team from the capital. Despite their best efforts, Dong Thap were put to the sword thanks to goals from Nguyen Van Dung (31′), Nguyen Thanh Chung (90+1′), and Nguyen Tuan Anh (90+3′), which ensured a smooth sailing to the third round for Chu Dinh Nghiem’s men.
Elsewhere, hosts Quang Nam FC of the V.League 1 were shocked by fellow V.League 1 side Hong Linh Ha Tinh, with former Becamex Binh Duong and Sai Gon FC striker Victor Mansaray scoring the winning goal for the newly-promoted side in the 30th minute. Binh Duong themselves also secured passage to the next round, thanks to a tight 1-0 win over fellow V.League 1 side Thanh Hoa FC at the Go Dau Stadium in Binh Duong Province. Ho Tan Tai’s 72nd minute winner was more than enough to catapult Binh Duong into the third round draw. Last but not least, an intriguing encounter between two V.League 2 sides in Can Tho Province ends with XSKT Can Tho beating Binh Phuoc 1-0 thanks to a 71st minute goal from Duong Van An.
The draw for the third round of the 2020 Vietnamese National Cup was performed after the second round matches were done and dusted. With matches to be played in August, the draw coughed up some interesting encounters to look forward to. Viettel FC and Binh Duong will clash in Hanoi, while Ha Tinh will host Than Quang Ninh. V.League 2 giant-killers Ba Ria-Vung Tau were handed a dream clash against current V.League 1 leaders Ho Chi Minh City FC, with the match taking place at Ba Ria Stadium, a mere 2-hour drive away from Ho Chi Minh City. Last but not least, Hanoi were handed a somewhat easy tie as they will host Can Tho at the Hang Day. With both Viettel and Hanoi being based in the same city and the same stadium, arrangements would be surely made to accommodate the two teams’ matches.
In a Hanoi-related news, Jamaican striker Rimario Gordon has recovered from his injury according to a Facebook post on the club’s official page on Tuesday, meaning that he is eligible to play for the capital side once the 2020 V.League 1 action restarts on early June. This would mean that French striker Papa Ibou Kebe will be spending the rest of the season on loan at Quang Nam to make way for the Jamaican. It is unclear who will make way for Kebe in the Quang Nam squad though, with the team already having three foreigners in Brazilian trio Rodrigo Dias, Ze Paulo, and Lucas Rocha.