CAHN won the V-League 2023
Two points ahead of direct competitor Hanoi FC before the final round of phase II, CAHN aims to win Thanh Hoa to decide itself in the championship race. Even a draw is almost guaranteeing the title for them, when it is superior to Hanoi FC in terms of goal difference - loss.
However, the competitive pressure caused CAHN to enter the game with a bit of psychological tension, especially when Hanoi FC soon led Viettel 2-0 in the match at the same time at My Dinh Stadium.
For most of the first half, Thanh Hoa was the team that created more clear scoring opportunities, thanks to the mobility of attacking duo Lam Ti Phong and Paulo Conrado. In the 6th minute, Lam Ti Phong hit the header from near the wall from Dam Tien Dung's free kick, sending the ball narrowly across the post. In the second half of the half, Conrado poked a slot for Lam Ti Phong to escape, but goalkeeper Filip Nguyen saved CAHN.
Just a few minutes after escaping, CAHN opened the scoring thanks to the flash of Nguyen Quang Hai. The Vietnamese player crosses the ball just in range for Gustavo Henrique to head into the far corner of the goal. Things could have been easier for CAHN if Quang Hai was as sharp as before. In the face-to-face phase of Thanh Hoa's goalkeeper right after that, he could not finish successfully, missing the opportunity to double the difference for the host.
This miss phase, along with the inaccurate finishing situations of Gustavo Henrique and Ho Tan Tai at the beginning of the second half made the gap still fragile with CAHN. In the 63rd minute, what the home fans were worried about happened. Receiving the ball and without much momentum, Bruno Cunha shot from a distance of about 25 meters, leaving goalkeeper Filip Nguyen only watching.
Being equalized, the pressure increased again with CAHN. Psychology is part of the reason for the consecutive missed phases of the host after that. John Cley hit the post, before Quang Hai missed the ball when he received a favorable pass from Doan Van Hau.
Unable to overcome, CAHN as well as those who love them live in anxiety at the last minute. Thanh Hoa had a chance to go ahead, when Paulo Conrado took a free kick at the edge of the penalty area. The ball hit the CAHN fence and flew all the way to the goal line. From the corner after that, Doan Ngoc Tan headed hard, but the ball hit the away team player in an offside position.
Finally, CAHN also defended the result 1-1, thereby winning the V-League right in the first promotion season. They are the second team to do this after HAGL in 2003. Quang Hai and his teammates have the same 38 points as the team chasing Hanoi FC, but won the title thanks to a better difference (+18 vs +13). The tournament also saw a fifth consecutive championship in the capital.
