Last weekend’s set of V.League 1 fixtures saw the Northern Vietnam Derby being played out at the Hang Day Stadium, with Hanoi FC welcoming Hai Phong FC to the stadium. Sunday’s derby was made even more intense by the fact that Hai Phong is now being coached by former Hanoi head coach Chu Dinh Nghiem and the two clubs being neck and neck at the top of the V.League 1 standings.
Leaders Hai Phong came to second-placed Hanoi with the sole intention of beating their local rivals to extend their lead over them, while a Hanoi win by a sizeable margin would see the men in purple deposing their rivals as league leaders, while at the same time establishing some breathing space between themselves and third-placed Song Lam Nghe An, who had beaten Ho Chi Minh City FC 2-0 on Friday.
Hanoi were also seeking to improve their league form, having only taken one point out of their last two matches after the league’s restart in late June.
Spurred on by their passionate home supporters, Hanoi took the lead in the 30th minute through a strike from former TSC Backa Topola and Gangwon FC striker Vladimir Siladi, who was Hanoi’s only foreign player on the pitch in Sunday night’s derby.
However, Hai Phong drew things level in the 55th minute, after former Hanoi danger man Rimario Gordon managed to squeeze his way past three Hanoi defenders and slammed home past goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong in the Capital Team’s goal.
Despite this setback, Hanoi soldiered on and they took advantage of a lapse of concentration within the Hai Phong defense to reclaim the lead in the 64th minute. Seizing a Truong Van Thai Quy ball, young striker Le Xuan Tu managed to outsmart Hai Phong goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu and slot the ball easily into the empty goal.
As both teams exchanged attack after attack, there was time for Hanoi to introduce Doan Van Hau in the 71st minute, with the defender replacing Xuan Tu. Returning to a packed Hang Day for the first time since November 2020, Van Hau had spent a lenghty spell in the sidelines due to a knee injury, and the former Heerenveen man did admirably in helping Hanoi defend their lead.
The 2-1 win for Hanoi allowed them to equal Hai Phong on points, however the latter still held onto the V.League 1 leadership due to a slightly better goal difference compared to the former. The duo were one point above third-placed SLNA as the season’s early pace-setters.