SHB DN stay on winning streak
Matches in the 21st round of the 2014 V-League took place at stadiums across the country on 19 and 20 July.
SHB DN collected their fifth consecutive victory in a dramatic 2-1 home win over Hai Phong last Saturday.
Hai Phong opened the scoring in the 19th minute through striker Hoang Dinh Tung. SHB DN’s striker Bernardo then levelled the game in the 42nd minute with a downward header from near the goal.
In the 86th minute, a penalty was awarded to SHB DN after a foul by Hai Phong’s midfielder Justice. The penalty was successfully converted by midfielder Valentic to give his team the 2-1 win.
 |
| A collision between SHB DN’s striker Bernardo and Hai Phong’s midfielder Justice |
In the other matches, Long An surprisingly defeated highfliers Thanh Hoa 2-0 at the Long An Stadium, whilst Song Lam Nghe An managed a 1-1 draw against Ha Noi T&T at home. Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost at home 1-2 to QNK Quang Nam, while Quang Ninh had a 5-3 home win over Dong Nai. Binh Duong beat An Giang 3-0 at the Binh Duong Stadium.
Binh Duong now lead the table with 42 points, followed by Ha Noi T&T on 41 and Thanh Hoa on 36. SHB DN still lie in 4th place with 35.
SHB DN are currently the only team in the league to have won their last 5 games, although this late surge is not being reflected in their table position as yet because they must rely on the 3 teams above dropping points. At the weekend, 2 of the 3 did just that. As the season draws to a close, it will be SHB DN’s results in their remaining 5 games which will be the key. In 3 of those 5, SHB DN meet the 3 teams above them, making each match crucial and equivalent to 6-point matches. However, SHB DN lost to all 3 earlier in the season. The top 3 teams also play matches between themselves, so the final placings are as yet far from certain and the season ending will be exciting because any of the top 4 teams, including SHB DN, could be the eventual champions. SHB DN have everything to play for but, even if they win their remaining 5 games, they may still rue those points lost earlier in the season.
SHB DN will next play at Dong Nai on Sunday 27 July at 5.00pm.