Five talking points from V.League 2020 Matchday 3

International media “envious” of V.League’s return

Reuters is impressed by the packed stands on the day the V.League 2020 restarts.

Matchday 3 witnessed 50,500 fans flocking to stadiums to watch seven clashes as V.League 2020 resumed, an average of 7,214 spectators per match. The Nam Dinh FC-Viettel FC match reported the most fans in the stands with nearly 30,000.

Reuters ran a positive article showing the packed stands in the V.League, making a comparison between it and other leagues around the world, such as the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga, which it said still cannot return until later this month or have already restarted but with “a haunting atmosphere at empty stadiums and muted goal-scoring celebrations.”

The Reuters article was also quoted by some other newspapers and news sites worldwide, including The Star, The Viral Print, India Today, and Channel News Asia.

Foreign managers “inferior” to foreign players

Jamaican striker Rimario Gorden (R) scores a double against manager Lee Tae-hoon's Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

Matchday 3 saw disappointing results for foreign managers. While Chung Hae-seong of leaders Ho Chi Minh City only managed to bag a point in their scoreless draw against Hai Phong FC, his other foreign colleagues, such as Fabio Lopez (Thanh Hoa FC) and Lee Tae-hoon (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), came away empty-handed.

In the context of foreign managers suffering bitter defeats, many foreign players strongly impressed with vital goals. At Cam Pha stadium, Bruno Sousa and Victor Mansaray got on the scoresheet to help newbies Hong Linh Ha Tinh knock down “V.League giants” Quang Ninh Coal. Meanwhile, at Hang Day stadium, Jamaican striker Rimario scored a brace to gift Hanoi FC a three-goal win against Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

A shock win for V.League newbies

Newly promoted Hong Linh Ha Tinh (R) have clinched their first win in the V.League 2020.

Newly promoted Hong Linh Ha Tinh produced the biggest shock of Matchday 3 by ousting last season’s third-place team Quang Ninh Coal 2-0 away.

It was the first victory for Pham Minh Duc’s side in V.League 2020 after two previous defeats against Viettel FC and Nam Dinh FC. The convincing triumph is expected to boost Hong Tinh Ha Tinh’s confidence in the forthcoming matches of their inaugural V.League campaign.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai extend poor away run at Hanoi FC

Hoang Anh Gia Lai (in red) have gone 10 consecutive matches without a win at Hanoi FC's Hang Day stadium.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai again failed to improve their head-to-head away record against Hanoi FC as they were beaten by three straight goals in a lopsided match between the two sides on June 6.

Lee Tae-hoon’s side have now gone 10 consecutive matches without a win at Hang Day stadium, including eight losses and two draws. Saturday’s defeat was also their second consecutive loss in the past two weeks, following a 0-2 loss to Nam Dinh FC in the National Cup.

HCM City miss chance to further solidify top spot

Ho Chi Minh City (in white) remain on top of the table despite their scoreless draw against Hai Phong FC.

Ahead of Matchday 3, HCM City had been two points clear at the top of the table, the only team to have not dropped any points in V.League 2020.

However, Chung Hae-seong’s troops spurned an opportunity to further consolidate their grip atop the table by playing out a goalless draw against Hai Phong FC on Friday.

Despite still remaining the frontrunners in the title race, HCM City are now placed above Viettel FC and Song Lam Nghe An on goal difference alone.