VietNamNet Bridge – Sanna Khanh Hoa’s 1-0 victory over the much higher-rated Becamex Binh Duong on May 2 was one of the biggest talking points of the 2015 V-League Round 12. Let’s take a look at the five major highlights in this round of play.

Khanh Hoa players celebrate their only goal.

1. Sanna Khanh Hoa deserves to be a dark horse

Sanna Khanh Hoa have been making a fabulous debut at the V-League, currently standing in fifth position with 21 points, placed above many powerhouses in the national top-tier football league. Their surprising 1-0 victory against reigning champions and current leaders Becamex Binh Duong 1-0 last weekend, helped Khanh Hoa extend their unbeaten run to 11 of 12 matches so far in this year’s tournament.

2. Round of the hosts

The 12th round of play witnessed outstanding performances from the host teams as they took in four wins, two draws and just one loss. Song Lam Nghe An was the only team to lose on home turf last weekend, while draws were secured by XSKT Can Tho and Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Dong Thap, Dong Tam Long An, Sanna Khanh Hoa and SHB Da Nang were the four winners.

3. ‘Kings of away matches’ empty handed at Chi Lang Stadium

Ahead of the 12th round, Quang Ninh Coal were regarded as the ‘kings of away matches’ as they claimed five wins and one draw in six away matches since the beginning of the 2015 season. However, they had to concede their first away loss last weekend against a very tough challenger, SHB Da Nang, impressively regaining form with three victories in a row in the last three rounds of play.

4. Becamex Binh Duong remain on top

Binh Duong’s first-place position remained unchanged with 25 points despite their 12th-round loss to Sanna Khanh Hoa on May 2. With a goal difference of 11+ and a three-point deficit against runners-up Thanh Hoa, Binh Duong is almost bound to wind up on top of the first leg with just one game left to play.

5. Bottom group fail to quench thirst for victory

The thirst for victory from Hoang Anh Gia Lai, QNK Quang Nam and XSKT Can Tho – the bottom three teams in the provisional V-League standings – has yet to be quenched as the 12th round concluded on Sunday. Bottom-placed XSKT Can Tho had five rounds of play with no victory, while the figure was six for Hoang Anh Gia Lai. QNK Quang Nam was the most ‘thirsty’ as the number of their draws and losses in this year’s season reached seven matches.

Nhan Dan