Matches in the 8^th round of the V-league were played over this last weekend, and there is now an 8-week break in the season.

SHB DN’s coach Le Huynh Duc

On Saturday, SHB DN played out a goalless draw at 5^th-placed Dong Tam Long An, but the point still leaves them disappointingly 3^rd from bottom.  In the weekend’s other games Quang Nam were beaten 0-1 at home by SLNA, Hai Phong drew 0-0 at home to Quang Ninh, HAGL drew 2-2 at home to Dong Thap, and Sanna Khanh Hoa put 4 goals past lowly Can Tho at the Nha Trang Stadium.  In a tense game which saw 10 players yellow carded and one sent off, bottom-of-the table Dong Nai were just 8 minutes away from a memorable victory at high fliers Thanh Hoa but they were denied by late goals.  The final score ended 3-2 and Thanh Hoa now lie second in the table on equal points with league leaders Quang Ninh.

As the season breaks it is worth looking back at SHB DN’s record over their first 8 games.  The key facts are: one win, 8 goals scored, 10 goals against, 17 yellow cards and one sending off.  These seem to suggest that, whilst the defence is quite strong (only 5 other teams have had fewer goals against), the attack is weak.  Neither of the 2 foreign strikers signed for this season played in Saturday’s match.  Gomez is still suspended for his sending off 2 weeks ago and Pejic, who has only scored once in 7 games, was an unused substitute.

The other clear message for a team which has had 17 yellows and one red so far is about their apparent lack of discipline on the field.

Hopefully, before SHB DN return to V-league action on 12 April, the break will provide an opportunity to improve on these 2 issues and they will quickly climb the table.  A test will come the weekend before when they meet Nam Dinh in the first round of the cup. 

(Written by Ian Lister)