Five highlights of V-League 1 2016 Round 3
Nhan Dan Online introduces the five highlights of the 2016 Toyota V-League 1 third round that concluded last weekend.
Reigning champions Becamex Binh Duong were held to a 1-1 draw by Long An. |
1. Powerhouses cause disappointment
Hanoi T&T and Song Lam Nghe An are experiencing possibly their worst start to V-League campaigns in history. After the first three rounds of play, the two V-League powerhouses are together at bottom of the table with only one point each following one draw and two losses.
2. Round of draws
The third round saw the most draws since the beginning of the 2016 season as four of six matches ended up without no win for any teams, including Song Lam Nghe An-QNK Quang Nam, Long An-Becamex Binh Duong, Hoang Anh Gia Lai-Quang Ninh Coal and Hanoi T&T-Hanoi.
3. Half goals scored by headers
Six of the 12 goals scored in the third round came from headers. Notably, many of these goals decided the results of the matches. For example, headers by Gaston Merlo and Anthony Stevens accounted for narrow wins of SHB Da Nang and Hai Phong against Sanna Khanh Hoa BVN and XSKT Can Tho. A close-range header by Trinh Quang Vinh secured Becamex Binh Duong a precious point after an away 1-1 draw with Long An.
4. Vanishing spray makes debut at V-League matches
The V-League has seen the appearance of vanishing spray for the first time since the third round last weekend. Now, Vietnamese referees can use this tool for free-kick situations, which is also being applied in the Premier League and other famous tournaments in the world. Vanishing spray is said to help prevent unnecessary delays by preventing the defensive team from encroaching closer than the mandated 10 yards (9.1 metres) from the ball during a free kick, and also by preventing the attacking team from illegally moving the ball from the spot where the referee awarded the kick.
5. Hai Phong, SHB Da Nang fly high with foreigners’ brilliance
Hai Phong and SHB Da Nang made it through to their third consecutive V-League match this season thanks to shining performances by foreign players. Anthony Stevens and Gaston Merlo headed home to power Hai Phong and Da Nang to narrow 1-0 victories against Sanna Khanh Hoa and XSKT Can Tho on March 5, which kept them atop the standings with nine points each.
(Source: NDO)