* Huda Hue were relegated to the Second Division after they lost 1-0 to Hanoi at home on Saturday, while Kienlongbank KG remain second after the penultimate round of the First Division with a 3-2 win over An Giang at Long Xuyen City.
Huda Hue drop down, Kienlongbank sitting nicely for promotion
By Vu Duc - The Saigon Times Daily
Hoa Phat Hanoi's players celebrate after their team defeated Dong Tam Long An Tiles during their V-League football match in Long An Province on Sunday - Photo: Ba Chau HCMC - Song Lam Nghe An moved closer to the V-League 2011 title after beating Hanoi ACB 3-2 in the penultimate clash of the season at National My Dinh Stadium on Sunday and at the same time dumped the home side into the First Division.
Despite a three-point lead over second-placed Hanoi T&T, the leaders knew they had to pull off another victory to move closer to lifting the crown, while Hanoi ACB needed victory to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation.
National midfielder Pham Thanh Luong opened for Hanoi ACB just eight minutes into the game before Hoang Van Binh equalized for Song Lam in the 19th minute. Nguyen Hoang Helio and national midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang had the visitors sitting comfortably with efforts in the 62nd and 76th minutes. Lucas Cantoro pulled one back in injury time but it was too little too late for the home side.
With the victory, Song Lam sit on 48 points from 15 wins, three draws and seven losses, three points ahead of second-positioned Hanoi T&T, who beat Haiphong 1-0 at Hang Day Stadium.
Now the league’s two front frontrunners go head to head in a winner takes all showdown in Vinh City on Sunday. Song Lam only need a draw to win their first V-League crown in a decade against defending champions Hanoi T&T. However, a win for T&T and the crown is theirs as they have a superior goal difference.
With the loss, Hanoi ACB are officially relegated to the First Division for next season. Hanoi ACB have collected just 25 points from 25 games and are now four points behind 12th-placed Hoa Phat Hanoi.
Meanwhile, SHB Danang ended their hopes of sneaking the V-League title after drawing 1-1 with Becamex Binh Duong at Go Dau Stadium. SHB Danang have confirmed third place with 43 points.
On Sunday’s game between Dong Tam Long An Tiles and Hoa Phat Hanoi was a real relegation six-pointer.
Backed by an enthusiastic home support, Dong Tam Tiles dominated the game from the start and were good value for their 1-0 lead thanks to Abdi Kassim’s effort in the 31st minute.
However, Cassiano Alushola leveled for Hoa Phat just three minutes later and Timothy helped the visitors go in front in the 38th minute before Antonio Carlos equalized for Dong Tam in the 45th minute. It wasn’t enough, though, as Duc Thang hit a 63rd minute winner giving Hoa Phat a priceless victory that might yet be enough to save them from the First Division.
With the win, Hoa Phat move into 12th on 29 points, the same as 11th-placed Haiphong, while Dong Tam Tiles dropped to 13th two points adrift of the duo but a win on the last day combined with losses for Haiphong and Hoa Phat can still save Dong Tam.
Haiphong will take on doomed Hanoi ACB at home, Hoa Phat will meet Khatoco Khanh Hoa at Hang Day Stadium and Dong Tam Tiles will travel to Thanh Hoa.
In other matches, Khatoco Khanh Hoa escaped from the relegation area after trouncing Thanh Hoa 4-2 in the central coast city of Nha Trang. Dong Thap sit seventh on 34 points after a 2-0 loss at Ninh Binh.
Navibank Saigon climbed to eighth on 33 points after beating ninth-placed Hoang Anh Gia Lai 2-1 at Thong Nhat Stadium.
Round 25 results
V-League
Dong Tam 2 Hoa Phat 3
Khanh Hoa 4 Thanh Hoa 2
Ninh Binh 2 Dong Thap 0
Binh Duong 1 SHB Danang 1
Navibank SG 2 Hoang Anh 1
Hanoi T&T 1 Haiphong 0
Hanoi ACB 2 Song Lam 3
First Division
Saigon XT 3 Dong Nai 3
An Giang 2 Kienlongbank 3
Huda Hue 0 Hanoi 1
TDC Binh Duong 1 Quang Ninh 2
Quang Nam 2 Nam Dinh 1
HCMC 1 Binh Dinh 2
Can Tho 4 Tay Ninh 2
* Huda Hue were relegated to the Second Division after they lost 1-0 to Hanoi at home on Saturday, while Kienlongbank KG remain second after the penultimate round of the First Division with a 3-2 win over An Giang at Long Xuyen City.
Bottom-placed Huda Hue lost at Tu Do Stadium with the only goal from Dang Huu Phuoc in the 21st minute.
With the loss, Hue will play in the Second Division next season. Hue have 20 points from just four wins, and are four points behind 13th-positioned Nam Dinh.
Meanwhile, Nam Dinh and Tay Ninh moved deeper into the relegation area after losing 2-1 to Quang Nam in Tam Ky Stadium and 4-2 to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho respectively.
Nam Dinh and Tay Ninh now have 24 points each, four points behind 11th-placed TDC Binh Duong, who escaped from the relegation area despite losing 2-1 to Quang Ninh Coal.
Champions Saigon XT are on 51 points from 25 games after drawing 3-3 with Dong Nai at Military Zone Seven Stadium.
Second-placed Kienlongbank have 44 points, just two points ahead of third-positioned Binh Dinh, who beat HCMC 2-1 at Thong Nhat Stadium.
The fight to avoid relegation will focus on the clashes between Nam Dinh and Huda Hue and Tay Ninh’s meet with HCMC in the league’s final day, while Kienlongbank, who will meet TDC Binh Duong at home, and Binh Dinh, who will play Can Tho in Qui Nhon City, will fight for a place in the V-League next season.