Round 5 of the National First Division: Công Phượng's team runs out of steam

Trường Tươi Đồng Nai failed to keep their winning run alive and dropped from first place.

At the end of round 5, the two teams sharing the top two positions are surprising names: Khatoco Khánh Hòa Club (12 points) and TP.HCM Club (11 points).

These two clubs did not make any standout signings before the new season and were not seen as front-runners, but they have had impressive performances over five rounds: Khatoco Khánh Hòa has 4 wins—the most in the league—and TP.HCM remains unbeaten with the highest number of goals scored (11).

Right behind them are several strong contenders: Trường Tươi Đồng Nai, Bắc Ninh, Quảng Ninh, and Quy Nhơn United. Trường Tươi Đồng Nai is determined to reclaim the top spot, but coach Việt Thắng’s team could not secure all three points against Bắc Ninh in the fierce battle at Bình Phước Stadium. The 0-0 draw means neither team could break away as hoped, temporarily sharing third and fourth places.

Quảng Ninh secured an important 1-0 victory over hosts Đồng Tháp. Although having the same 9 points as Bắc Ninh, Quảng Ninh stands just behind in fifth place. Newly relegated Quy Nhơn United sits mid-table in sixth with 7 points. The point gap among the leading clubs is narrow, making each round extremely exciting, interesting, and subject to frequent changes.

At the bottom, Thanh Niên TP.HCM, after a promising start, has gradually slipped to last place with 2 points. In the last two rounds, this young squad averaging 20 years old suffered heavy defeats (0-5 against TP.HCM, 2-4 against Quy Nhơn United).

However, Thanh Niên TP.HCM is not alone at the bottom; just above them are Đồng Tháp (2 points) and Long An (3 points). Đồng Tháp has yet to win this season. Long An is on a three-match losing streak after a 1-0 victory over Đồng Tháp in round 2.