Thanh Hoa’s shocking loss to Dong Nai was the most noticeable of the 12th round of the V-League Eximbank 2014 that concluded last weekend. Following are the five highlights of this round of competition.

1. Thanh Hoa experience incredible loss

Thanh Hoa conceded eight straight goals to Dong Nai in an extremely disappointing day of competition for the club, creating the biggest shock in Round 12. This humiliating result put an end to the central team’s nine-game unbeaten run from the beginning of the 2014 V-League season and deprived them of the top spot of the table they had enjoyed for several consecutive rounds.

2. Ninh Binh’s V-League campaign interrupted by match-fixing suspicion

The 12th round clash between XM The Vissai Ninh Binh and Hoang Anh Gia Lai was cancelled after Ninh Binh FC’s leaders submitted a proposal to the Vietnam Professional Football Company (VPF) to temporarily stop their V-League competition because of match-fixing issues. Nine of the team’s players were found guilty of fixing the results in some recent matches, particularly in the March 18 clash with Malaysia’s Kelantan at the AFC Cup 2014, a case still under investigation.

3. A sad round for hosts

Three of five hosts succumbed to losses in Round 12, including QNK Quang Nam, Vicem Hai Phong and Hung Vuong An Giang. V-League giants Song Lam Nghe An also had to share points on their home field, with a 2-2 draw against weaker opponents Dong Tam Long An. Dong Nai was the only host team to bag full three points this weekend following their 8-0 win over Thanh Hoa at Dong Nai Stadium.

4. Becamex Binh Duong race to top spot

Binh Duong proved their ambition for this year’s V-League title with a 2-0 win over Vicem Hai Phong on April 12 – their third consecutive victory – which pushed them to the top of provisional standings with 23 points. Despite sharing the same points as Thanh Hoa, Binh Duong took the upper hand due to their greater goal difference (15:1).

5. An Giang miss chance to escape bottom

The 12th round continued to be a sad one for Hung Vuong An Giang, as they failed again to improve on their bottom-place position, losing 3-4 to defending V-League champions Hanoi T&T on Monday. Despite taking the lead twice, An Giang did not succeed in defending their advantage and ended up with their ninth loss since the beginning of the 2014 season.

According to Nhandan/VNN