Spanish coach highly praises the Vietnamese duo

Coach Gerard Albadalejo praised the two players from Ninh Binh after the draw against The Cong Viettel in the 6th round of the V-League.

Ninh Binh recorded their second consecutive draw as they were held by The Cong Viettel right at their home ground in the 6th round of the V-League. Despite having the advantage of leading and playing with one extra player, the team from the ancient capital failed to maintain focus during crucial moments and dropped two points.

Nevertheless, Coach Gerard Albadalejo still found positive aspects in Ninh Binh’s gameplay. Specifically, the Spanish strategist highly commended Nguyễn Đức Chiến, who scored the opening goal for the home side.

He stated: "Today, Đức Chiến and the entire team showed great determination before, during, and after the match. The whole squad gave their all, but it was an extremely complex and challenging game against a very strong opponent like The Cong Viettel. This club is also where Đức Chiến spent many years playing, so it was a personal challenge he needed to overcome. I want to congratulate Đức Chiến and the whole team for getting through today’s test."

In addition, the 42-year-old coach was asked about goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm’s form, as he showed some concerning moments during the match against The Cong Viettel.

In response, Coach Albadalejo declared: "Today, Văn Lâm made several crucial saves in the final minutes. I highly appreciate Văn Lâm’s current form. Although there were specific situations in today’s match, honestly, he couldn’t have done otherwise, and neither he nor the team is to blame. Overall, I rate Văn Lâm’s performance very highly in today’s game."

Notably, both Đức Chiến and Văn Lâm were named by Coach Kim Sang Sik in the Vietnam national team call-up list for the October FIFA Days with two matches against Nepal in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Therefore, the duo’s recent performances are seen as positive signs in their pursuit of starting positions for the national team.

Returning to the match events, Ninh Binh started well after gaining a numerical advantage following Bùi Tiến Dũng’s red card, along with Đức Chiến’s penalty goal to take the lead. However, a lapse in concentration and defensive errors cost the hosts when Đinh Xuân Tiến equalized in the second half, ending the match at 1-1.

This result did not cost Ninh Binh their top spot as they hold 14 points, while The Cong Viettel sits fourth with 12 points.

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