The 'Hot' Race for the Top 3 in V-League

The weekend's final round concluded with a series of noteworthy developments, not only in the championship race but also in the medal contention group and the relegation battle. The victories of Hanoi FC, CAHN, and Ninh Bình created a distinct "power triangle," while the order below remained unchanged.

At Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi FC secured a 4-2 victory over Becamex TP.HCM. It was a decisive win but not a flawless one for Coach Harry Kewell's team. Hanoi FC demonstrated formidable attacking strength with continuous chance creation, yet also clearly exposed weaknesses in their defense.

The two conceded goals against an opponent from the lower group revealed a lack of focus and an insufficiently solid defensive structure. Additionally, squandering numerous clear opportunities meant this victory could not fully satisfy the fans. Nevertheless, the 3 points helped Hanoi FC continue to closely follow the top 3 with 33 points, maintaining significant pressure on the rivals above.

On the flip side, the defeat left Becamex TP.HCM stuck at the 10th position. The team under General Manager Đặng Trần Chỉnh has 19 points and still hasn't found the necessary stability, especially as the defense continuously makes mistakes.

Meanwhile, Ninh Bình continued to show impressive form with a 3-0 victory over PVF CAND. Although Hoàng Đức was absent due to injury, this was a match where domestic players shone brightly, particularly young names like Lê Văn Thuận, Phạm Gia Hưng, and Trần Thành Trung.

The ancient capital's team is showing signs of better utilizing opportunities and maintaining the 3rd position with 37 points. The 4-point gap with Hanoi FC gives Coach Bae Ji Won's squad a certain advantage in the medal race.

For PVF CAND, this defeat kept Coach Trần Tiến Đại's team at the bottom with 13 points. However, this team still has some breathing room as SHB Đà Nẵng couldn't capitalize on their home advantage.

At Chi Lăng Stadium, Nam Định secured a 2-1 victory thanks to the brilliance of Xuân Son and Akolo. This win keeps Nam Định's hopes alive for breaking into the top 3 with 27 points (equal to 5th-placed Hai Phòng Club), while SHB Đà Nẵng continues to sink deeper at the bottom with 12 points, raising major questions about the coaching staff's future.

In the mid-table area, the 1-1 draw between Thanh Hóa and SLNA accurately reflected the two teams' actual strength. Thanh Hóa, despite playing with a numerical advantage, couldn't preserve it, while SLNA showed the necessary resilience to almost certainly secure their league status.

The focal point of the round was CAHN's 3-0 victory over CATP.HCM. Coach Alexandre Polking's team demonstrated comprehensive superiority, with goals from Văn Đô, Alves, and notably Nguyễn Đình Bắc.

The U23 Vietnam striker followed his colleague Văn Thuận at Ninh Bình by scoring in his third consecutive match. With 48 points, CAHN is racing towards the finish line and creating a safe gap from the chasing group.

The weekend's defeat caused CATP.HCM to drop to 7th place, overtaken by Nam Định. The medal race thus became extremely tense as the gap between teams from 3rd to 7th place is not large.

In the latest match of round 19, Thể Công Viettel secured a 1-0 victory over HAGL thanks to Wesley Nata's goal. Late in the match, Nata was also in the right place to block a shot that could have become a goal for the visiting team. The home team showed they can compete for the championship with CAHN, though the pressure remains very heavy.

This was a significant victory as it helped Thể Công Viettel maintain the 2nd position with 41 points and also ended their streak of not winning against HAGL under Coach Velizar Popov. However, Thể Công Viettel still trails CAHN by 7 points.

Overall, round 19 revealed a clear three-tier landscape. That is the championship race leaning towards CAHN and Thể Công Viettel, the extremely fierce top 3 battle involving Ninh Bình, Hanoi FC, Nam Định, and the increasingly suffocating relegation group with five names: SHB Đà Nẵng, PVF CAND, Thanh Hóa, HAGL, and Becamex TP.HCM.

With only 7 rounds left in the season, every mistake could come at a high cost, and the drama is sure to escalate further.