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| Dinh Luat of Saigon FC (L) fights for the ball with Fonseca of Navibank Saigon during their Super League football match at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC on Sunday - Photo: Ba Chau |
HCMC – The nation’s biggest football tournament, the Super League – Eximbank 2012, kicked off over the weekend, but Song Lam Nghe An shared the point with Thanh Hoa at their home ground on Sunday.
Super League 2012 expects to see a five-horse race to the title. Defending champions Song Lam Nghe An, Hanoi T&T and SHB Danang are eager to win the Super League title, while the newly-promoted team to the Super League Saigon FC and Binh Duong are also the favorites.
Though home team Song Lam started with midfielder Hughton Hector, national midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang and striker Dieng Abass in their line-up together with defender Hoang Phat Therry, the Vinh-based team were held 0-0 by underdogs Thanh Hoa in Vinh Stadium.
Song Lam dominated the game and put the visiting side goal under heavy pressure. However, their forwarders missed all scoring chances, with the score unchanged at 0-0 until the final whistle. Thanh Hoa coach Trieu Quang Ha admitted he was happy with the first point after his team drew at the tournament.
2011 V-League runner-up Hanoi T&T were brilliant in their first game as they defeated Hanoi Club 1-0 in their derby game. The visiting team put more pressure on their opponents from the beginning and Cristiano R.Roland scored the only goal for Hanoi T&T in the 53rd minute.
Meanwhile, the derby game between the two HCMC teams, Navibank Saigon and Saigon FC, ended 2-2 at Thong Nhat Stadium. Bousou Vincent and Dang Khanh Lam scored for Navibank Saigon in the 30th and 64th minutes while Oloya Moses and Nsi Amougou Jose scored for Saigon FC in the 12th and 43rd minutes.
Also on the first round of the Super League, SHB Danang earned a 3-2 win over Khatoco Khanh Hoa at Chi Lang Stadium while Hoang Anh Gia Lai beat Vicem Haiphong 3-1 in the Central Highlands city of Pleiku in an earlier game on Saturday.
Becamex Binh Duong also secured a 2-0 victory over the newly-promoted team to the Super League Kienlongbank KG at their home town on the same day. XM The Vissai Ninh Binh tied 2-2 with Dong Thap in the northern province of Ninh Binh on Sunday.
Round 1 Results V-League Hoang Anh 3 Binh Duong 2 Kienlongbank KG 0 Song Lam 0 Thanh Hoa 0 Navibank Saigon 2Saigon FC 2 Hanoi Club 0Hanoi T&T 1 Ninh Binh 2 Dong Thap 2 SHB Danang 3 Khanh Hoa 2 First Division Junior SHB Danang 1 Dong Tam Tiles 2 TDC Binh Duong 0 Quang Ninh Coal 3 Junior Hanoi0Hanoi1 Hung Vuong – An Giang 1 Lam Dong 1 Dong Nai 2 Binh Dinh 0 Tay Ninh 2Quang Nam 3 Can Tho 0 HCMC 0 |
Meanwhile, the First Division 2012, the second biggest football tournament in Vietnam, officially kicked off at stadiums nationwide last week with Dong Tam Long An Tiles, who just relegated to the First Division from last season, beating Junior SHB Danang 2-1 in their opener.
Quang Nam had a tough match but finally won 3-2 over Tay Ninh in Tay Ninh Province on Saturday and hosts Dong Nai beat Binh Dinh 2-0 in the southern province of Dong Nai.
Junior Hanoi were 1-0 defeated by Hanoi in a derby game at Hang Day Stadium while Quang Ninh Coal crushed TDC Binh Duong 3-0 in Binh Duong Province in an earlier game on Friday.
Hung Vuong – An Giang tied the newly-promoted team to the First Division Lam Dong 1-1 on their home ground while the game between Can Tho and HCMC ended scoreless in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.
