A late goal from Jermie Lynch was enough for Hai Phong FC to condemn Becamex Binh Duong to their second consecutive defeat, with the Red Tide edging out the Eastern Whirlwind 1-0 in their 2021 V.League 1 Round 4 encounter at the Go Dau Stadium on Saturday. The win was enough for Hai Phong to join SHB Da Nang at the V.League 1 summit, at least until Round 5 rolls around.
Jamaican striker Lynch was on the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during Round 3, when his penalty was saved by Bui Tan Truong during Hai Phong’s 2-0 Northern Vietnam Derby defeat at the hands of Hanoi FC. He was also responsible for a reckless challenge on countryman, teammate, and strike partner Diego Fagan during a training session in the buildup towards the Binh Duong game, which left Diego in the sidelines with 25 stitches. However, Lynch made up for his mistakes with a brilliant performance against Binh Duong, snatching a 86th minute winner to ensure that Hai Phong would go joint-top of the league for the time being.
The Red Tide had a tough outing at the Go Dau Stadium, with Lynch and stand-in strike partner Diego Silva of Brazil having difficulty in breaking down a stubborn Binh Duong defense. A 39th minute chance saw Silva passing a through ball towards Lynch, who rushed past the Binh Duong defenders and fired a shot towards the goal. Unfortunately for the Jamaican, Binh Duong goalkeeper Tran Duc Cuong managed to collect the incoming shot and makes the save.
Unlike during their derby defeat at the hands of Hanoi, Hai Phong’s defense performed an admirable job at the Go Dau, marshaled by German-Vietnamese defender Adriano Schmidt, who missed the derby due to food poisoning. Schmidt collaborated together with Pham Manh Hung in ensuring that the Hai Phong back-line remained watertight throughout the duration of the match.
Le Trung Hieu also did an excellent job in keeping Victor Mansaray at bay, despite the height disparity between the two, but the shorter Trung Hieu ensured that Mansaray would be unable to perform any meaningful attacks on the Hai Phong defense. Dang Quang Huy was no slouch as well on Saturday, despite deputizing for Nguyen Ba Duc who was hauled off with an injury in the 25th minute, Quang Huy managed to fill in his compatriot’s shoes as he ensured that Ba Duc’s absence did not stifle Hai Phong’s defense at all.
The hard work of Hai Phong’s defenders meant that despite dominating proceedings, Binh Duong were unable to leave a dent in the Red Tide’s defense. Phan Thanh Hung’s men were only able to muster three shots on target, as both Mansaray and To Van Vu were unable to penetrate the flanks and Nguyen Tien Linh was only able to test Hai Phong goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan from distance.
Hai Phong’s patience was finally rewarded in the 86th minute after a fatal error from the home side. Nguyen Thanh Long was unable to maintain a strong possession on the ball, enabling Le Manh Dung to wrestle the ball off the Binh Duong midfielder’s feet easily. Manh Dung then made his way towards the Binh Duong penalty box, laying off a through pass to Lynch. An on-side Lynch fired off a powerful shot with his first touch that went beyond the reaches of Duc Cuong, providing Hai Phong with the breakthrough that they needed.
The 1-0 win meant that Hai Phong moved up to 2nd place in the V.League 1 table with 9 points, the same amount of points as league leaders Da Nang. Despite being joint-leaders, Hai Phong were unable to dislodge Da Nang as they had an inferior goal difference compared to the Han River Team.
Saturday’s Round 4 action also saw Kiatisuk Senamuang’s Hoang Anh Gia Lai being forced to a goalless stalemate by bottom side Hong Linh Ha Tinh at the Ha Tinh Stadium.