The 'Hot' Race for the Championship and Survival in the V-League

The weekend's round concluded with a full spectrum of emotions: controversy, mistakes, explosions, and pivotal shifts on the standings table. From the fury of coach Velizar Popov to the breathless chase at the top and bottom of the table, the league is entering its decisive phase with tension at its peak.

The focal point of this round wasn't the goals, but rather the technical area. In The Cong Viettel's 1-0 victory over Thanh Hoa, coach Velizar Popov once again stirred up the pitch. His fierce reaction to referee Nguyen Viet Duan, culminating in throwing his card after being dismissed from coaching, revealed his strong personality and the immense pressure he carries in the title race. The Bulgarian coach now faces the risk of severe penalties.

Nevertheless, if the noise is disregarded, The Cong Viettel still achieved the most crucial goal: 3 points. The round 18 win helped the military-clad team narrow the gap with top-ranked CAHN to just 7 points, keeping their hopes of an upset alive in the remaining 8 rounds. Notably, against his former club, Coach Popov showed no deference, clearly reflecting his ambition and determination.

In the chasing group, Ninh Binh continued to display impressive resilience. On Becamex TP.HCM's home ground, Coach Vu Tien Thanh's team secured a 2-1 victory despite not dominating the match. The standout performance belonged to Geovane Magno with 1 goal and 1 assist, while Vietnamese U23 player Le Van Thuận shone again with the decisive goal.

The second consecutive away win with the same 2-1 score helped Ninh Binh solidify their 3rd place position with 34 points, now only 4 points behind The Cong Viettel. Without needing overly flashy play, Coach Vu Tien Thanh's team knows how to accumulate points, a vital factor in the long-distance race.

Meanwhile, pressure weighs heavily on top-ranked CAHN. Playing away against bottom-placed PVF CAND, Coach Polking's team failed to secure the full 3 points. The 1-1 draw not only narrowed the gap with The Cong Viettel but also showed signs of CAHN's momentum stalling.

The highlight of the match was two Vietnamese U23 talents named Bac shining on opposite sides. Nguyen Dinh Bac opened the scoring for the visitors partly due to goalkeeper Minh Long's error, while Xuan Bac equalized, earning PVF CAND a precious point. With 13 points, Coach Tran Tien Dai's team officially escaped the bottom position, pushing SHB Da Nang down to last place.

SHB Da Nang fell into a difficult situation after a 0-1 loss to SLNA. A mistake by naturalized defender Do Phi Long led to a penalty, allowing Olaha to score the only goal. With 12 points, the risk of relegation is becoming clearly apparent for Coach Le Duc Tuan's team.

Conversely, SLNA has almost reached the safety mark with 23 points and the 8th position, a sufficient gap for Coach Van Sy Son and his players to feel secure for the rest of the season.

In another notable development at the bottom group, HAGL created a major upset by defeating Nam Dinh 2-1 right at Thien Truong. This was a cathartic victory, as Coach Le Quang Trai's team had previously suffered a serious slump and hadn't known victory in 3 matches under Trai after GĐKT Vu Tien Thanh departed.

On a day when Xuan Son appeared fatigued and Nam Dinh's attack was stagnant, HAGL effectively capitalized on their opponent's mistakes to secure the full 3 points. This result helped the Mountain Town team climb to 11th place with 18 points, creating a safer distance from the bottom group. Thanh Hoa currently holds 16 points and the 12th position, 3 points ahead of PVF CAND.

On the flip side, Nam Dinh ended their 5-match winning streak and continued to show instability, a factor that could cost the Nam club dearly in the medal race.

In the latest match, Hanoi FC rediscovered joy with a 3-0 victory over Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Hoang Hen was the standout with 1 goal and 1 assist, while goals from Xuan Manh and Daniel Passira helped the Capital team conclude the match convincingly. With 30 points, Hanoi FC continues to chase the upper group, holding the 4th position.

The 5th position belongs to Hai Phong. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's club pushed CATP.HCM down to 6th place with a 3-0 victory over that same opponent at Lach Tray. Coach Le Huynh Duc's team showed signs of continuous instability with 2 recent losses and conceding up to 7 goals.

Round 18 revealed a highly volatile V-League. The championship race remains undecided as the gap is gradually narrowing. Meanwhile, the survival battle is increasingly fierce, where mistakes could cost an entire season.