Foreign players shine, Viettel continues to compete for the V-League championship with CAHN

Two notable matches of the 16th round of V-League on March 15 concluded with the same scenario: a narrow 1-0 victory for the home teams Viettel and Ho Chi Minh City Police.

While Viettel overcame Hai Phong thanks to Lucao's header, Ho Chi Minh City Police also defeated PVF-CAND with a late goal by Khoa Ngô after a match full of opportunities but equally tense.

At home, Viettel started cautiously against the troublesome opponent Hai Phong. The opening minutes were quite open as the visiting Port team pushed their formation high. From the 5th minute, Fletcher twice tried his luck with shots towards goalkeeper Van Viet's goal, but they lacked sufficient difficulty to make a difference.

After initially being overwhelmed, Viettel gradually regained control with better ball possession in midfield. In the 15th minute, Hoang Minh delivered a dangerous cross from the right flank, but goalkeeper Dinh Trieu timely cleared it. The match subsequently saw several notable opportunities. In the 26th minute, Hai Phong nearly scored when Tien Dung shot inside the box, but the ball narrowly missed the post.

The most notable incident in the first half occurred in the 32nd minute when Tagueu broke through and faced Viettel's goal after bypassing goalkeeper Van Viet, but the final shot missed the target despite the goal being almost empty. On the other side, Viettel also had a clear chance before halftime when a header hit the crossbar, leaving goalkeeper Dinh Trieu helpless. The first half ended without any goals.

Entering the second half, the pace slowed for about the first 15 minutes as both teams mainly contested the midfield area. However, the turning point came at the 60th minute. From a precise cross by Phan Tuan Tai on the left flank, Lucao charged in and headed powerfully into Hai Phong's net, opening the score for Viettel.

After conceding, Hai Phong had to push forward to seek an equalizer. Despite having more possession in the final minutes, the Port team struggled against Viettel's tightly organized defense. Fletcher had a notable shot in the 79th minute, but the ball went straight to goalkeeper Van Viet's position. Hai Phong's remaining efforts were ineffective, and the match concluded with a 1-0 victory for Viettel.

With this win, Viettel solidified their 2nd place on the standings with 34 points and continued to pressure CAHN in the V-League championship race, trailing by 4 points.

In the simultaneous match, Ho Chi Minh City Police also endured 90 minutes of difficulty against PVF-CAND. In the 10th minute, the visitors seemingly scored when Hoang Vu Samson tapped into an empty net after Mpande's clearance, but VAR ruled a prior foul, so the goal was not recognized.

After the controversial incident, the match became lively with many opportunities shared by both sides. Tien Linh had several notable shots for Ho Chi Minh City Police, including a close-range tap in the 39th minute that lacked accuracy. The first half ended 0-0.

In the second half, both teams continued to exchange blows. In the 48th minute, PVF-CAND consecutively shot through Hoang Vu Samson and Thai Ba Dat but still couldn't beat the home defense. On the other side, Tien Linh's header hit the post in the 52nd minute, leaving spectators regretful.

The stalemate was broken only in the 76th minute. From a quick attack on the right flank, a favorable cross was delivered into the box, and overseas Vietnamese player Khoa Ngô charged in and accurately tapped close-range, scoring the only goal of the match for Ho Chi Minh City Police.

In the final minutes, the home team created more opportunities to widen the lead. Tien Linh had a close-range shot in the 86th minute but lacked accuracy, before Van Binh missed a chance facing the goalkeeper in the 89th minute. Nevertheless, the 1-0 lead favoring home team Ho Chi Minh City Police remained until the referee blew the final whistle.