V-League champions Da Nang sailed into first with a 3-0 home win over Hoang Anh
Gia Lai (HAGL) at Chi Lang Stadium on Sunday.
Da
Nang now has nine points after three consecutive wins and they still have a
match in hand because their match against Dong Thap in the second round on
February 7 was delayed till May 19.
The
delay was due to Da Nang's February 19 match against Can Tho in the National Cup
and their Asian Football Confederation Cup match against Thai-League club Thai
Port in Bangkok on February 24.
Da
Nang took control of the HAGL bout as some of the opposition's best players were
out with injuries and penalty cards.
HAGL's strikers looked pathetic. The 2003-04 V-League champs had only one
on-target shot after 70 minutes while the defending champs scored three goals.
The
visitors would have conceded more goals if their goalkeeper Michal Silhavy
hadn't played exceptionally. Home team strikers Gaston Merlo, Rogerio Nguyen and
Diego Mendez combined excellently for the whole match.
The
win pushed Da Nang from third to first while HAGL fell two places to 12th
after the defeat.
In
other action, the 2007-08 V-League champs Binh Duong suffered a 0-1 home loss to
the 2005-06 champs Dong Tam Long An at Go Dau Stadium.
Binh Duong dropped from first to fifth place while DTLA climbed two places to
third.
Hanoi T&T remain in second place after a 2-0 home victory over Nam Dinh. The
nation's top striker Le Cong Vinh scored the second goal early in the second
half after Cao Sy Cuong helped the hosts take the lead midway through first
half.
The
loss at Hanoi's Hang Day Stadium held Nam Dinh at second to last with only one
point after four matches.
The
1-1 draw at Ho Chi Minh City's Thong Nhat Stadium held hosts Navibank Saigon and
visitors Hoa Phat Hanoi in eighth and fourth places with seven and five points
respectively.
Hosts Khanh Hoa's late comeback at Nha Trang Stadium with a double by Jonathan
Quartey in the final ten minutes lifted them five places to sixth with six
points.
Losing visitors Dong Thap fell five places to 11th with four points
but the Mekong Delta squad still has a match in hand.
Nghe An jumped three places to ninth with five points after a 2-1 away win over
Thanh Hoa at Thanh Hoa Stadium while the hosts remain at the bottom with just
one point.
Hosts Ninh Binh and Hai Phong Cement fought to a two-all tie at Ninh Binh
Stadium. They now have five points each but Hai Phong remain in seventh spot
while Ninh Binh slid one place to 10th.