Football never sleeps in Vietnam as following last weekend’s first round matches of the 2021 Vietnamese National Cup, the 2021 V.League 1 plays out it’s 11th round the following mid-week. Bottom-of-the-league Hong Linh Ha Tinh, fresh off their 4-2 win over V.League 2 side Cong An Nhan Dan in the cup on Friday, host Becamex Binh Duong at the Ha Tinh Stadium on Tuesday, with the visitors still reeling from their embarrassing cup exit at the hands of V.League 2’s Can Tho Capital on Friday. Nguyen Thanh Cong’s Ha Tinh managed to seize upon Binh Duong’s wounded state and inflicted further misery on the Eastern Whirlwind, thrashing them 4-2 to launch themselves off the league’s basement.
Kelly Kester opened the scoreline for Ha Tinh in the 16th minute with a well-angled header, taking advantage of a cross from Nguyen Van Hiep to smash the ball past Binh Duong goalkeeper Tran Duc Cuong.
Kelly then almost scored a brace in the 39th minute with a spectacular overhead kick that was deflected behind the goal by a Binh Duong defender, before Pham Tuan Hai made it 2-0 for Ha Tinh in the 42nd minute. Midfielder Nguyen Trung Hoc managed to make his way into the right flank of the Binh Duong defense, sending a short pass to Tuan Hai who slotted home past Duc Cuong.
Binh Duong barely had time to recover their bearings when Tran Phi Son made it 3-0 on the night at the stroke of half-time, rifling in an effort from distance that went beyond the reaches of Duc Cuong.
The Eastern Whirlwind’s misery was completed in the 55th minute, after a shot from Ismahil Akinade was inadvertently deflected into Duc Cuong’s goal by Nguyen Thanh Long, effectively sealing Binh Duong’s fate.
The away side did manage to claw two goals back through Tong Anh Ty in the 69th minute and Victor Mansaray in the 89th minute to ensure a nervy finish for Ha Tinh, but the damage had already been done and Ha Tinh managed to propel themselves out of last place and into 11th with the 4-2 victory. Binh Duong, on the other hand, remain on 6th place but their place in the upcoming championship-relegation split is being placed under threat.
Tuesday’s Round 11 action also saw Duoc Nam Ha Nam Dinh climbing all the way up to 3rd in the league table thanks to a 1-0 win away at Than Quang Ninh, while defending champions Viettel FC and Ho Chi Minh City FC played out a 1-1 draw at the latter’s Thong Nhat Stadium, with new striker Patrick Leonardo scoring a debut equalizer for Alexandre Polking’s Red Battleship.
Round 11 continues on Wednesday as league leaders Hoang Anh Gia Lai travel to Dong A Thanh Hoa, Sai Gon FC paying SHB Da Nang and the Hoa Xuan Stadium a visit, Hai Phong FC and Song Lam Nghe An clashing at the Lach Tray Stadium, and Hanoi FC welcoming Topenland Binh Dinh to the Hang Day Stadium.