Round 10 V-League rescheduled match: CAHN solidifies top spot, Nam Dinh faces crisis

CAHN widened the gap on the runner-up Ninh Binh by beating Thanh Hoa, whereas Nam Dinh underperformed by losing to Viettel.

The Viettel Football Club and Thep Xanh Nam Dinh are both eager for victory in the rescheduled match, which also marked the “spring opener.” Only a win could help the Nam team break their streak of unsuccessful results (no wins since round 4 of V.League 1), reigniting their chance to return to the top 5 and push higher in the upcoming phase. Viettel Football Club also needed a win to forget their 1-4 defeat against SLNA in round 13, reduce the gap with second-placed Ninh Binh, and boost confidence in their pursuit of the league leaders CAHN.

After overcoming the cautious opening minutes, Coach Popov’s players launched several threatening attacks on Thep Xanh Nam Dinh’s goal in the first half. However, the forwards’ lack of precision and VAR interventions prevented the home team Viettel from scoring. It was a half in which Coach Mauro Jeronimo’s players from the visiting side failed to make the expected impact, despite their strong desire.

In the second half, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh showed a different, more lively face and continuously created dangerous chances. However, the visitors’ forwards, including striker Xuan Son, could not break through Viettel’s defense. Just as they were gaining momentum, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh conceded a goal in the 68th minute: Van Khang took a free kick, Nguyen Manh parried the ball, and Nhat Nam was there in time to score the only goal of the match — a decision confirmed by VAR technology supporting the referee’s final call.

With this loss, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh remains 10th on the leaderboard with 12 points, grouped with clubs actively fighting to avoid relegation. This point total leaves the defending champions 20 points behind the league leaders CAHN (32 compared to 12).

On the same day, Coach Polking’s team made a comeback against the home side Dong A Thanh Hoa. The Thanh Hoa team opened the scoring through Damoth Thongkhamsavath midway through the first half. However, Coach Mai Xuan Hop’s team collapsed in the second half, with a spectacular long-range goal by Doan Van Hau and a brace from Alan.

CAHN Football Club firmly holds the top spot with 32 points and still has one match in hand compared to chasing teams Ninh Binh, Viettel, and Hanoi. After beating Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, Viettel shortened the gap to just 2 points behind Ninh Binh (25 versus 27). The opportunity to “overthrow” remains open for Coach Popov’s squad…