LookAtVietnam – Thousand of people rushed to Lach Tray Stadium to see one of the world’s most expensive players, Denilson de Oliveira, play with the Hai Phong Cement jersey against SHB Da Nang on Saturday.

Many paid up to VND2mil for a pair of tickets, about 16 times higher than the original price, but in the end they were all disappointed, as Denilson did not play and Hai Phong lost 0-2. (Photo: VNN)

Water bottles, bread, cakes and other things were thrown onto the grounds, and firecrackers were set off in the stands. Security guards and police were called to keep order.

Playing under heavy pressure from their home fans, who were dispirited over Denilson and the team managers, Hai Phong still had their chance in the first 10 minutes.

Elenildo had a tap near the box and Leandro look a free kick, but both were blocked by former national goalkeeper Vo Van Hanh of Da Nang, who reached his peak that day.

Only two minutes afterwards, Merlo Gaston opened the score for the visitors with a header to the net.

The goal put more pressure on Hai Phong players.

About 25 minutes after the break, Gaston widened the gap with another header. Hai Phong defender Nguyen Minh Duc failed to control the ball, giving Gaston a chance to score.

“My team was under too much pressure. Our defence worked badly. We could not prevent Da Nang’s big for wards, and my goalkeeper made a mistake on the second point,” said coach Vuong Tien Dung of Hai Phong.

“Hai Phong fans reacted very angrily when Denilson did not play today. I understand their feelings, but I checked on his conditions and found it too risky to let him play today.”

Dung also said that Denilson might not be present for the next match against The Cong on Wednesday, as his situation had not yet improved.

Denilson’s private doctor confirmed that the Brazilian needed two weeks to totally recover. As the result, he could not play on Wednesday.

It was his first loss since Dung returned to coach the team last month.

Da Nang players meanwhile enjoyed great bonuses from their club leaders, who decided to award them with VND700 million ($38,400).

“I am happy with the win. My players made a good performance today; they took full advantage of their chances,” said coach Le Huynh Duc of Da Nang.

“Hai Phong also played fairly well, with several opportunities, but they could not overcome the pressure from their home fans. It was one of our advantages today,” Duc said.

Da Nang stayed at the top of the rankings with 30 points after 14 matches, and Hai Phong, despite the loss, stood at seventh with 19 points.

In other matches, coach Nguyen Huu Thang had a good start with his new team when T&T Ha Noi beat The Cong 1-0 at Ha Noi’s Hang Day Stadium.

Three-time Golden Ball winner Le Cong Vinh scored the only goal of the match at the 87th minute.

“T&T won thanks to a little luck and good spirits. I was satisfied with their tactics and playing style, because I only spent [10] days with them and have not yet made any imprint,” Thang said.

It was the first win for the team after five rounds. Their last win was on April 12 against Nam Dinh.

“The victory clears away our burden and will help us be more confident,” he said.

Coach Le Thuy Hai, who took charge of The Cong for three matches, said his team played under their ability because of the poor physical strength of the local players, while the foreigners had not yet integrated into the team.

But he said wins, losses and draws were normal in football. They would for forget this failure and head to future victories.

In other activities, former champion Song Lam Nghe An beat Military Zone 4 1-0; Dong Tam Long An levelled 2-2 with Khatoco Khanh Hoa; Mikado Nam Dinh tied defending champion Becamex Binh Duong 1-1; HCM City had a big win of 3-0 over Thanh Hoa and Dong Thap drew Hoang Anh Gia Lai 2-2.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News