After losing 2-0 at home to V-league leaders Binh Duong last Saturday, SHB Da Nang will next play at Quang Ninh at 6.00pm today, 15 July.

Although they are currently 3 places above SHB DN in the league, Quang Ninh have recently had poor results with a 2-1 away loss to Dong Thap on 5 July and a crushing 3-0 home defeat by bottom-of-the-table Can Tho on 11 July.  SHB DN have also lost their last 2 games, suffering 2-0 defeats to both Ha Noi T&T and Binh Duong, but they were strong opponents. 

SHB DN and Quang Ninh players

Quang Ninh started the season well but their recent results, losing all but one of their last 6 matches, have disappointed many of their fans.  They have had a particularly poor record at home this season, with 2 victories, 2 draws and 3 losses, but they have won 5 and drawn one of their 8 matches away from home.     

It was rumoured that Quang Ninh’s head coach Dinh Cao Nghia did not get on well with his players and the team’s fan club, plus he was under a lot of pressure due to their recent record.  As a result, coach Nghia submitted his resignation to the club's management board last Saturday, just a few hours after his team’s 0-3 loss to Can Tho.  Assistant coaches Quang Hoan and Hoang Tho will therefore lead Quang Ninh in today's game.

By contrast, thanks to his professional skills and good understanding with his players, SHB DN’s coach Duc has won the trust of his squad which has given his team confidence.

The team’s 2 newly-recruited foreign strikers, Cuban Pérez Rousseaux and Jamaican Fraser, have yet to meet the expectations of the coaching board.  However, recent adjustments to the team's defensive and counter-attack tactics are expected to help the foreign strike duo show their professional skills and produce a perfect combination.