On Hanoi FC's Hang Day Stadium, the flare was thrown by Nam Dinh fans in stand B in the 56th minute of the game. It hit the leg of the woman in stand A, where home fans were sitting, and bounced to near the dugouts before starting to burn. |
The victim, To Huyen Anh, suffered a large, bleeding gash in her left leg. She seemed dazed and speechless even after being bandaged by doctors. |
Security personnel quickly took Anh to hospital, where doctors said she had suffered a sulfuric burn down to her bone. She might have to undergo two surgeries. The game was stopped for over 10 minutes because of the incident. Referee Ngo Duy Lan had to discuss with league organizers whether or not to let the match continue. |
After the game resumed Nam Dinh fans threw another flare, but luckily it did not hit anyone. The police had to go into the stand to stop them. Meanwhile, in the packed stand, Hai Phong FC flags appeared. Hai Phong fans have achieved notoriety for throwing flares in Hang Day Stadium. |
The match was a highly anticipated one since Hanoi are in the hunt for the title while Nam Dinh needed a win to climb out of the relegation zone. But it was overshadowed by events off the pitch, which ruined the friendly image Nam Dinh fans had maintained since the start of the season. |
Hanoi FC captain Nguyen Van Quyet (jersey number 10) pleaded with Nam Dinh fans to keep calm after they yelled abuse at the referee for what they thought was an unfair decision against their team, but it was to no avail. Some even threw bottles on the field. The match ended in a crushing 6-1 victory for Hanoi FC, who retained their place at the top of the table. |