VietNamNet Bridge - Song Lam Nghe An temporarily took the lead in the V-League after beating Navibank Sai Gon 1-0 in the early fixture yesterday at Thong Nhat Stadium.

Ghana’s Edmun Owusu Ansah scored the only goal of the match two minutes into stoppage time stringing together a three-match winning streak for Nghe An and pushing the club to top place, two points ahead of Dong Thap, who will visit Thanh Hoa tomorrow.

“This victory was due to the team’s determination. All the players, including substitutes, gave their best on the pitch. It’s the reason for our recent wins,” said Nguyen Huu Thang, young coach of Nghe An.

“We’re not thinking too much about winning the title, I just tell players to prepare and win each match,” he added.

“We entered this match missing key players such as captain Phan Van Tai Em, Brazilian-born goalkeeper Phan Van Santos, and striker Nguyen Quang Hai. However, our players played well, especially in the second half. We didn’t deserve the loss, a draw would have been fair for both teams,” said, Mai Duc Chung, coach of Navibank Sai Gon.

In another early fixture, Becamex Binh Duong were held at home 1-1 by Ha Noi T&T, who will climb one spot in the table. Goals came from Binh Duong’s Leandro De Olivera and Ha Noi T&T’s Matias Recio Eduador.

Hard job

Simon McMenemy, a young British coach, will face young local coach Le Huynh Duc in the V-League’s most anticipated ninth-round match tomorrow.

McMenemy’s Dong Tam Long An will take on Duc’s SHB Da Nang tomorrow at Long An Stadium in a match that both teams cannot afford to lose because of their goals.

Although McMenemy earned his reputation at a national team level, guided Filipino team to the semi-finals at ASEAN Football Federation, AFF-Suzuki Cup last year, when it comes to the V-League, the 34-year-old is just a newcomer, while Duc, 39, won a V-League title and a National Cup, both in 2009.

Long An need a win to escape from the relegation zone while Da Nang, which now is five points behind provisional leaders Nghe An, cannot afford to lose if they do not want to slip further on the table.

Another interesting match this round is the encounter between Khatoco Khanh Hoa and Hoang Anh Gia Lai at Nha Trang. The clash promises to be exciting when home team Khanh Hoa will have to face in-form visitors.

Thanh Hoa take on leaders Dong Thap tomorrow; Ninh Binh host Ha Noi ACB; and Vicem Hai Phong visit Hoa Phat Ha Noi.

Source: VNS