VietNamNet Bridge – The 2014 V-League 22nd round continued to witness a dramatic title race between Becamex Binh Duong and Hanoi TT, while Hung Vuong An Giang could possibly face relegation. Let’s review the five highlights in this round of play.
1. A dramatic V-League title race
The title race between Becamex Binh Duong and Hanoi TT is getting fiercer than ever.
The bid for this year’s overall title is getting fiercer than ever as top two scorers, Becamex Binh Duong and Hanoi TT, won three additional points following their 3-1 victories against QNK Quang Nam and Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Binh Duong is now on the verge of taking Hanoi’s crown as they continue to maintain a one-point advantage over the capital’s team.
2. Hung Vuong An Giang close to play-off match
After conceding a 1-2 homefield loss to Quang Ninh Coal on Sunday, bottom-placed Hung Vuong An Giang are now very close to a playoff match against First Division third-placed XSKT Can Tho for next year’s V-League slot. The gap between An Giang and the next closest team to bottom, Dong Tam Long An, has now widened to six points after Long An earned one more point with a 1-1 draw against Vicem Hai Phong in an away match.
3. Bronze medal remains up for grabs
The race for the bronze medal seems to be just as tense as the fight for the title. SHB Da Nang (35 points) missed the chance to snatch third place from Thanh Hoa following their 1-2 away loss to Dong Nai on Sunday as their two direct competitors, Thanh Hoa (37 points) and Song Lam Nghe An (32 points), held each other to a goalless draw on the same day.
4. Dong Nai performs well despite match-fixing scandal
Despite a shortage in their line-up and low moral after the recent match-fixing scandal, Dong Nai struggled to beat last year’s runners-up SHB Da Nang 2-1 in a brilliant game on Sunday. The victory not only helped Dong Nai to overcome pressure but also helped them to regain the trust of their home fans and sponsors.
5. Hoang Vu Samson on verge of ‘top scorer’ honour
Hanoi TT striker, Hoang Vu Samson netted a hat-trick in their Sunday clash against Hoang Anh Gia Lai. This raised his 2014 V-League scoring tally to 22 goals, four more than the runner-up Gia Lai’s Timothy Anjembe. Samson is on the brink of claiming this year’s ‘top scorer’ title as the 2014 V-League has just two games left to play. The TT striker had to share this prize with teammate Gonzalo last year, each scoring 14 goals.
Nhan Dan/VNN