Nam Dinh star player Nguyen Xuan Son was the Player of the match. -- Photo: SPORTFIVE
HANOI/SINGAPORE: Vietnam's Nam Dinh FC powered to a comfortable 4-1 away win over Bangkok United FC on Wednesday as Mauro Jeronimo’s V.League 1 champions moved to the top of Group B in the 2025/26 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup.
A brace by in-form striker Nguyen Xuan Son and further goals by Lucas Alves and Tran Ngoc Sơn at the BG Stadium in Pathum Thani saw Nam Định remain the only team with a 100 per cent record in the competition following a third successive win which takes them closer to a place in the knockout phase.
Bangkok United captain Wisarut Imura was on the scoresheet but a second defeat in three matches for Totchtawan Sripan’s side kept the Thai club on one point and on the verge of elimination.
The early exchanges saw Nam Định’s Brazilian centreback Walber and Bangkok United’s Guntapon Keereeleang making attempts at goal before the visitors eventually exerted their dominance.
Enterprising midfielder Romulo da Silva was at the heart of Nam Dinh’s attacking forays, and struck a right-footed shot in the 25th minute which was off target before Xuân Son, who scored a hat-trick against Shan United FC in the previous match, sent a header off target three minutes later.
Winger Percy Tau was a constant menace for the home defence with his penetrating runs down the right flank and was instrumental in the first goal a minute before halftime.
A long ball throw-in by Wálber was not cleared by the home defence and, after blocking an initial attempt by Tau, the ball fell for Alves to cooly tuck the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Phuwadol Pholsongkram.
Nam Định doubled their advantage four minutes after the interval when Tau again provided the assist. After finding space down the left flank, the South African’s pull back was easily tucked away by Xuân Son from close range.
Substitute Ngọc Son made an immediate impact for Nam Định, striking the third goal of the night in the 59th minute. Once again Tau was at the heart of the move when his shot from outside the box was palmed away by Phuwadol, only for Ngọc Son to slot home the rebound from a tight angle.
Bangkok United captain Wisarut headed in a consolation in the 85th minute before Xuân Son had the final say with a brilliant strike for his second of the match, and fifth of the competition, in injury time.
Nam Dinh head coach Mauro Jeronimo vowed not to allow his side’s march to the top of Group B detract from his game-by-game approach to the campaign.
“The way I see football, and I think this is normal for most coaches, is that we have to go match by match,” said the Portuguese coach . “Our first target is to qualify for the next round. That is our focus.
“We cannot think about the next stage if we are not 100 percent there yet. We will take a break, work well during the period we have, and then prepare properly for what comes next.”
Nam Dinh are the only team left in the competition with a perfect record after three rounds of the group phase.
and their latest win came after Lucas gave his side a 44th minute lead.
“I think we were stable overall,” Jeronimo said of his team’s performance. “From the start, we had a clear plan because technically Bangkok United move the ball very well and are very comfortable in possession. We didn’t want to allow that.
“At certain moments, we tried to keep the ball to control the tempo and also to save energy. For us, it was a long trip. We travelled around 10 hours from our city to Bangkok.
“Because of that, I really appreciate how the players pushed themselves to perform at the highest level again today.”
The result leaves Bangkok United, who fielded a much-changed line-up as coach Totchtawan Sripan deals with his side’s heavy workload, with one point from three matches in Group B as the Thai League 1 side’s hopes of a berth in the knockout rounds begin to fizzle out.
“We have been going through a very heavy schedule, playing two games a week for some time now,” said the former Thailand midfielder. “As a coaching staff, we have been closely monitoring the players, especially in terms of workload and fatigue.
“I was pleased, especially with the first half. The team played well, and maybe even better than some people expected. We created chances and showed good organisation.
“Unfortunately, we conceded from a set piece near the end of the half. That was disappointing, especially because we actually had an advantage in terms of height in those situations.
“In the second half, we tried to come out and push for a result. With our experience, quality and physical profile, particularly our height advantage, we believed we could challenge them.”
