Three players suspended for violence in V. League games

By Hoang Nguyen October 27, 2020 | 04:05 am PT

Nguyen Van Hanh grabs Phan Van Hieu’s face in an altercation that occurred during a V. League 1 match between Duoc Nam Ha Nam Dinh and Hai Phong FC on October 25, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa.

Three players from Saigon FC, Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Hai Phong FC have each received two-match suspensions for inappropriate behavior during the V. League’s weekend matches.

Two of them were also fined.

The punishments were handed out Tuesday by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), after reviewing round 4 matches of the tournament’s second leg.

In the 90+3rd minute of the match between Saigon and Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) on Sunday, defender Nguyen Thanh Thu of Saigon FC, doing a throw-in, deliberately threw the ball straight on to the face of a HAGL player, winger Nguyen Phong Hong Duy. Referee gave Thu a warning.

Later, when VFF officials reviewed the match and analyzed the incident, they concluded that it was a violent act and suspended Thu for two consecutive matches.

For his behavior in the same match, HAGL goalkeeper Tran Buu Ngoc received a fine of VND5 million ($215) and a two-match ban for overreacting with the referee.

Another violent incident occurred in a Sunday V. League 1 game between Duoc Nam Ha Nam Dinh and Hai Phong FC. Nguyen Van Hanh of Hai Phong fouled Nam Dinh’s Le Sy Minh and got a second yellow card. After being sent off, Hanh was deemed to have overreacted in confronting referee Hoang Ngoc Ha. When Nam Dinh players tried to stop Hanh, he clawed violently at Phan Van Hieu’s face.

After the game’s supervisors reported the incident, the VFF fined Hanh VND15 million and gave him a two-match suspension.

Back in July, coach Hua Hien Vinh of Pho Hien FC had strangled a player in a V. League 2 match. He was also handed the same punishment has Hanh.