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A few days after watching the match in Ho Chi Minh City, I took the opportunity to attend another V.League 1 game. It just so happened that the Fairfield Binh Duong hotel, where I stayed for a few days is located just a few kilometers from Go Dau Stadium. This time I obtained the tickets in a more modern way than purchasing them at the stadium box office. My workmate bought it through the club’s website.
The match was preceded by the playing of the national anthem of Vietnam, which is a generally accepted practice to emphasize the high status of this public event. Unlike the stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, this time there was no chance for beer before the match – quite a few sales points offered only non-alcoholic beverages.
From the first whistle of the referee, it was clear that there was a difference in class between the two teams – to the detriment of the hosts. In Nam Dinh, Rafaelson truly shone – a striker of Brazilian origin with a Vietnamese passport scored 3 goals. He would have likely increased his tally, but he suffered an injury and had to leave the field in the 82nd minute of the match.
In the Vietnamese league, there is a large group of foreigners from all continents, although the top scorers table may suggest that the most players have come from Brazil. My colleague from Poland who has been living and working in Vietnam for several years claims that football is definitely the most popular team sport in the country, which attracts powerful sponsors and ultimately results in a surprisingly high level of competition. The problem is that at the national level, Vietnam faces tough opponents. In the qualifying group for the World Cup, they typically meet Japan and South Korea – both of these countries can boast not only better domestic leagues but also a large group of professional players exported to the top European leagues.
After the break, the visitors’ pressure clearly weakened, which the hosts took advantage of by scoring a consolation goal in the 58th minute.
The downpour that passed over the stadium did not damage the spectacle, as it only wet the audience during the break in the match. I wonder if this was planned by the organizers… If so, that’s a very practical idea!
