Following a 1–0 victory over Quang Nam, Hanoi FC have extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches this season. If you include games from the end of last season, that number reaches 19.
Nearly halfway through the 26-game season, Hanoi has racked up 10 wins, two draws and have not lost a single game. With 32 points, they have cemented their place at the top of the table and broken the V-League record for the highest number of points at this stage of the season. The record was previously held by Becamex Binh Duong FC, who had 30 points from 9 wins and 3 draws in 2007.
For the game against Quang Nam, Hanoi FC were without top scorer Osani Ganiyu following his suspension over on-pitch violence. They were also playing away from home, but were nonetheless in great form and remained on the offensive for the whole match, according to Nhan Dan.
A prominent highlight of the first half was Van Hau’s free kick in the 17th minute, which forced goalkeeper Van Cuong to make an acrobatic save.
Quang Nam’s defensive tactics proved effective until the 75th minute, when midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai took advantage of a through ball from teammate Van Kien and scored the only goal of the match. The home team tried to respond but achieved little more than Nguyen Trung Dai Duong’s over-the-bar effort in the 84th minute.
Hanoi’s success will likely be noticed by national team coaches, especially in the run-up to the Asian Games which takes place in Jakarta this August. Park Hang-Seo will certainly be paying attention as he looks to recruit stars nationwide for Vietnam’s U23 team.
[Photo via Football-Tribe]
