Football 

HÀ NỘI Ninh Bình FC have hit the ground running, storming to the top of the V.League 1 table after two commanding wins in the national tournament’s opening matches.

Newcomers Ninh Bình FC have made an impressive start to the V.League 1 season, clinching top spot following victories in their first two games.

Last week, Ninh Bình defeated Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh 3-1, ending the latter’s unbeaten run in the first half of the 2024-25 season.

They continued their dominant form with a 4-0 thrashing of former National Cup champions Thanh Hóa in their first home V.League 1 match in nearly a decade, turning the game into a celebration.

Foreign players Daniel Da Silva Dos Anjos and Rodrigues Gustavo Henrique each scored twice, cementing their positions as leading scorers in the tournament.

Local stars, including Golden Ball winner Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, Nguyễn Đức Chiến, and rising talent Nguyễn Quốc Việt, provided strong support for the foreign duo.

“Before conceding the first goal, we were playing well. But after the first goal, things became more difficult," said former Việt Nam assistant coach Choi Won-kwon of Thanh Hóa.

Choi acknowledged that Ninh Bình deserved the win, adding: “It is the first time in my coaching career I have suffered a 4-0 loss. We are all disappointed, but I hope this will push my players to come back stronger. Loss helps us find mistakes and fix them.”

Ninh Bình’s coach Gerard Albadalejo expressed satisfaction with his squad’s performance: “I could not have predicted how many goals we would score before the game, but we prepared for victory. Thanh Hóa’s defence was well organised, but thanks to the home atmosphere and our fighting spirit, we overcame them.”

The Spanish coach praised his two foreign scorers and the whole team for their unity and mental strength, resulting in a solid technical performance.

Looking ahead, Ninh Bình faces tougher challenges against defending champions Thép Xanh Nam Định, and former winners Thể Công Viettel and Hà Nội.

Meanwhile, Hà Nội Police moved up to second place after thrashing 10-man Becamex HCM City 3-0 away from home.

Midfielder Nguyễn Quang Hải shone again, assisting Alan Sebastiao Alexandre to open the scoring just four minutes in. He then added a second goal 18 minutes into the second half.

Leonardo Artur De Melo sealed the victory with a close-range finish eight minutes later.

"In this match, we played with one more player than our opponent from early in the game. This victory will give Hà Nội Police more motivation to look forward to the next matches," Hải said.

"We have been preparing to find the best playing style as we will play in different competitions this season. We need to work harder and better to hit our targets."

Meanwhile, his coach Mano Polking admitted that this was a result beyond his expectations.

"Initially, I only set a points target from this match as I didn't think we could win by such a big score," he said. "That's because I thought this would be a very difficult match when facing the home team who were quite confident after a victory last week.

In third place, Thể Công-Viettel beat HCM City Police 3-0.

Pedro Henrique Oliveira Silva, Damian An and Goncalves Silva Lucas Vinicius scored for the host side at the Mỹ Đình Stadium.

Elsewhere, Hải Phòng came from behind to beat PVF CAND 3-1 to enter the top four. Nam Định suffered their first 1-2 loss to former champion Sông Lam Nghệ An.

Hà Nội are still seeking their first win of the season after an unexpected 0-0 draw with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai. SHB Đà Nẵng lost 0-1 to Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh. VNS