Ninh Binh cannot yet enjoy the joy with coach Vu Tien Thanh

In his first assignment as interim coach at Ninh Binh, coach Vu Tien Thanh could not help his new team secure a victory against SHB Da Nang. At the same time, his former team HAGL also lost to Ho Chi Minh City Police, forcing this coach to face two disappointments in just one day.

Football sometimes has coincidences that make those involved hard to avoid a bitter feeling.

ForCoach Vu Tien Thanh, round 15 of V-League 2025/26 was likely one of those days. He entered his first match as interim coach of Ninh Binh with the expectation of helping the team from the ancient capital continue the championship race.

But ultimately, all they achieved was a 1-1 draw against bottom-placed SHB Da Nang. That result was practically equivalent to a defeat.

Before the match took place, Ninh Binh was considered superior. This team had just changed its leader when coach Gerard Albadalejo Castano was dismissed after a streak of three consecutive losses, and the arrival of the veteran coachVu Tien Thanhwas seen as a "spiritual boost".

He was dispatched from Mr. Duc to support Ninh Binh, with a clear goal of bringing the team back into the title race.

Against an opponent deeply stuck at the bottom of the standings, Ninh Binh did not demonstrate the necessary superiority. Their play lacked sharpness, coordination was disjointed, and haste in finishing prevented coach Vu Tien Thanh's team from sealing the match. The 1-1 draw caused Ninh Binh to miss the opportunity to narrow the gap with top-placed Hanoi Police.

Currently, Hanoi Police have 35 points and still have two matches pending, while Ninh Binh trails by 7 points. If the top team continues its form, the championship race could soon be decided, and coach Vu Tien Thanh's task will become much more burdensome.

Ironically, while he was grappling with his new challenge, his former team HAGL also experienced a forgettable evening. At Pleiku Stadium, HAGL lost 0-1 to Ho Chi Minh City Police. This was the second loss for the Mountain City team against this opponent this season.

In the first leg at Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City Police won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Endrick dos Santos. In the return leg, the scenario nearly repeated when Khoa Ngo scored the only goal, helping Le Huynh Duc's team take all three points, even though Ho Chi Minh City Police did not truly play better than the home team.

That defeat keeps HAGL struggling in the lower part of the standings. After 15 rounds, Mr. Duc's team has only 14 points and ranks 11th. The gap with the two bottom teams, SHB Da Nang and PVF CAND, is merely 3 points, while HAGL has played one more match. The relegation battle is therefore becoming increasingly tense.

For Vu Tien Thanh, the evening of March 7 brought two contrasting emotions but shared the same sorrow. Ninh Binh could not yet improve under his guidance, and HAGL immediately showed instability right after his departure.