VietNamNet Bridge – Becamex Binh Duong inched closer to the final of the National Cup after beating SHB Da Nang 3-1 in the first leg of the semi-finals yesterday.

Midfielder Nguyen Thanh Hai of SHB Da Nang (left) vies for a ball against Becamex Binh Duong’s Pereira Diogo during their National Cup semi-finals, first leg yesterday. Binh Duong win 3-1. — Photo hanoimoi.com.vn

Hoa Xuan Stadium, which is believed to be the holy land for Da Nang, did not favour them this time.

The hosts took the lead in just two minutes after the first whistle.

Stealing a ball from the central area, Do Merlo broke into Binh Duong’s box and beat goalkeeper Duc Cuong easily with a shot to the right corner.

However, Da Nang’s party did not last long.

The Viet Nam Golden Ball winner 2015 Nguyen Anh Duc converted his teammate Pereira Diogo’s pass for the equaliser.

Their national U20 striker Nguyen Tien Linh made a solo performance in Binh Duong’s box and netted 2-1 in the 36th minute.

Coach Le Huynh Duc of Da Nang made several changes to his front line after the interval, but the substitutes did not improve their strength. Meanwhile, their defence continued to make mistakes.

About 10 minutes from the break, Diogo comfortably dribbled the ball from the right wing in front of Da Nang’s box and scored the third goal for his team.

“My players made too many mistakes in their three recent matches. Their performance was not as good as I expected, while they are still not strong mentally. They could not find ways to solve their difficulties,” said coach Duc at the post-match conference, adding that their poor performance was attributed to the many injuries his players suffered.

“Injuries prevented my best players from competing. It strongly affected our playing style. Now, we have to play our best in the second-leg game,” he said.

The 3-1 victory helped coach Tran Binh Su score a big advantage, ahead of their second-leg match on October 6, when Binh Duong play on their home soil at Go Dau Stadium.

“We just wanted a draw result in this match, but my players did a better job. I am satisfied with their spirit, and their high focus until the end,” said Su.

“Binh Duong are now home to many young players after they said goodbye to experienced and veteran players, such as Dinh Luat, Cong Vinh and Trong Hoang. However, the youngsters are learning fast. They have integrated and caught up with the pace of the tournaments, better than the previous generation,” he said.

Su said he had studied SHB Da Nang’s style, which depended a lot on Merlo and Gramoz. “We know how to prevent them from playing comfortably and limit the balls passed to them. Their scoring chances were controlled. We were successful that way,” he said.

Su’s club, who are playing poorly in the V.League, are ranked 12th out of 14 teams, and had set the target of being National Cup’s finalist this season.

In the other semis at Vinh Stadium in Nghe An Province, Song Lam Nghe An trounced Quang Nam 4-1.

Song Lam Nghe An are No. 10 in the V.League, while Quang Nam made a stunning show with their second position, their best season ever in their history.

However, it was Song Lam Nghe An, the 2010 winner, which dominated the match from the beginning.

National defender Que Ngoc Hai opened the score at the 31st mark.

Kovacevic Danko scored a double at the 49th and 83rd minutes. Olaha Michael Onydikachi’s goal was sandwiched between these winners.

Quang Nam’s only goal went to Dinh Thanh Trung from a penalty kick at the73rd minute, although the visitors created many threatening opportunities.

Quang Nam will host Song Lam Nghe An on October 6. They have to score at least four goals and give away none to have the chance of making it to the final. 

VNS