V-League organizers have pledged to investigate and crack down on any attempt to fix matches after several this season ended with questionable results.
“We fear that some clubs could play below their best. We have requested the crime branch police to monitor the league,” Nguyen Minh Ngoc, head of V-League organizing committee, said.
He said some clubs might favor specific opponents because of personal relations and not money, and the organizing committee needs to be decisive in such cases.
Among matches that have raised eyebrows was one last Saturday when bottom-placed club Hoang Anh Gia Lai defeated a stronger Song Lam Nghe An 3-1.
Two days before the match several SLNA players had posted photos of them together with HAGL players on their Facebook pages.
Nguyen Hong Thanh, director of Song Lam Nghe An Football Joint Stock Company, said he could not control the way his players played.
“I am very sad because the SLNA players did not play as well as I expected. Maybe they felt pity for HAGL since they face a relegation threat.”
SLNA are in seventh place with 32 points and have no chance of winning the title, but face no relegation threat.
Earlier, in round 18, Hai Phong lost 1-2 to Can Tho after failing to field two strong foreign strikers.
Can Tho are in the bottom three along with Dong Nai and HAGL, and relegation looms for them too.
On Sunday Dong Nai lost 1-2 to neighbor Becamex Binh Duong, who remain in the lead with 45 points, two ahead of Thanh Hoa.
Dong Nai Coach Tran Binh Su admitted it would be difficult for his team to avoid relegation.
“I only hope the organizers are more determined in the remaining rounds to avoid criticism from spectators. Obviously, no one can say the V-League has been clean so far.”
|
CLUB
|
R
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Becamex Binh Duong
|
22
|
14
|
3
|
5
|
45
|
|
2
|
Thanh Hoa
|
22
|
13
|
4
|
5
|
43
|
|
3
|
Khanh Hoa
|
22
|
11
|
6
|
5
|
39
|
|
4
|
Hanoi T&T
|
22
|
10
|
7
|
5
|
37
|
|
5
|
Hai Phong
|
22
|
10
|
6
|
6
|
36
|
|
6
|
Quang Ninh
|
22
|
10
|
3
|
9
|
33
|
|
7
|
Song Lam Nghe An
|
22
|
9
|
5
|
8
|
32
|
|
8
|
Dong Tam Long An
|
22
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
31
|
|
9
|
Da Nang
|
22
|
8
|
4
|
10
|
28
|
|
10
|
Quang Nam
|
22
|
6
|
8
|
8
|
26
|
|
11
|
Dong Thap
|
22
|
7
|
2
|
13
|
23
|
|
12
|
Can Tho
|
22
|
5
|
5
|
12
|
20
|
|
13
|
Dong Nai
|
22
|
4
|
5
|
13
|
17
|
|
14
|
Hoang Anh Gia Lai
|
22
|
4
|
5
|
13
|
17
|