Van Toan is worried because Nam Dinh's point gap with Hanoi has been shortened.

Nam Dinh FC continuously lost points against teams considered weaker in the final sprint to the finish line. The reigning V-League champion was held to a 1-1 draw by Ho Chi Minh City FC at Thien Truong Stadium in round 18, before having to share points with bottom-placed Da Nang in round 19.

Nam Dinh (white shirt) was held to a draw by Da Nang at Tam Ky Stadium.

Unstable performance has caused coach Vu Hong Viet's team to be narrowed down in points on the rankings by the chasing group. Although still leading the table with 36 points, Nam Dinh is only 2 points ahead of Hanoi FC with 7 more rounds to go.

Van Toan and his teammates need to improve their performance to successfully defend the "throne"

Witnessing his team's decline, striker Nguyen Van Toan admitted that the draw against Da Nang in round 19 was no different from a defeat. "Nam Dinh is competing for the championship, so every draw at this time is no different from a defeat. Being chased by lower-ranked teams - especially Hanoi FC - has caused us many difficulties" - the "factory" player Hoang Anh Gia Lai shared.

However, the 29-year-old player believes that Nam Dinh still has the advantage and has the right to decide in the race to the finish line, so he told the whole team to keep a positive spirit to look forward to the upcoming matches.

In the next 4 rounds, Van Toan and his teammates will face tough teams including: Binh Duong (April 26), Hanoi Club (May 4), Thanh Hoa (May 11) and Hoang Anh Gia Lai (May 18).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/van-toan-lo-lang-vi-nam-dinh-bi-ha-noi-rut-ngan-khoang-cach-diem-196250421122523126.htm