At Hoa Xuan Stadium in Da Nang, Nam Dinh faced an early disadvantage in the 15th minute when Tran Van Kien fouled Nguyen Minh Quang near the 16.5m line. After reviewing video, referee Nguyen Ngoc Tung determined there was no penalty but issued a direct red card to Van Kien.

The situation worsened in the 51st minute when Ezequiel Santos, the midfielder who scored two goals in Nam Dinh's 4-0 victory over HAGL, collided with Vo Huu Viet Hoang near the sideline. The Brazilian foreign player then stomped on the stomach of the home defender after he had fallen to the ground. This resulted in Nam Dinh's second direct red card after referee Tung reviewed the video.

The incident where Brazilian midfielder Ezequiel Santos (8) of Nam Dinh stomped on Da Nang defender Vo Huu Viet Hoang in round two of V-League 2026-2027, at Hoa Xuan Stadium, Da Nang on 11/9.

Before the match, Nam Dinh was rated highly for both player quality and form. However, the team suffered a significant loss with striker Nguyen Xuan Son sidelined due to a minor injury, watching the match from the stands. On the field, playing shorthanded early in the rainy weather made the situation more difficult, leading to their defeat in a nine versus 11 scenario.

In the 59th minute, Nguyen Hong Phuc crossed from the right wing to the far post, where Ivan Saponjic headed the ball off the ground to open the scoring. Seven minutes later, from about 26m, Yvo Rebori struck a free-kick that bounced into the right corner, doubling the lead. The 3-0 score was sealed in the 74th minute with a decisive finish inside the penalty area by Bryan Ly, a Viet Kieu born in 2003 in England and the older brother of Brandon Ly, a player for Cong an Ha Noi currently on loan to First Division club Phu Tho.

Brazilian striker Brenner of Bac Ninh celebrates a goal in their 1-0 victory over Cong an TP HCM in round two of V-League 2026-2027, at Viet Yen Stadium, Bac Ninh on 11/9. *Photo: Bac Ninh FC*

Alongside Da Nang's win, Bac Ninh also caused an upset by defeating Cong an TP HCM 1-0 thanks to Brenner's volley in the 17th minute. The V-League newcomer, featuring many experienced players, created numerous challenges for the visiting team. Bac Ninh could have secured a larger victory if David Fisher and Vitao had capitalized on their opportunities. Nevertheless, this marks a historic win for the Kinh Bac team, established only three years ago.

At the same time at Ninh Binh Stadium, the home team secured their second consecutive win by beating Thanh Hoa 2-1. Lucao, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win against Hai Phong, continued his impressive form with the opening goal in the 9th minute. In the 37th minute, Nguyen Ngoc My headed in to make it 2-0 after a cross from Truong Tien Anh. The striker, born in 2004, did not celebrate against his former team.

In the second half, Thanh Hoa unexpectedly surged in the final 20 minutes, with Nguyen Van Tung scoring to reduce the deficit in the 76th minute. However, their efforts to find an equalizer were unsuccessful, and they were fortunate that Ninh Binh lacked precision in counter-attacks, notably Tran Bao Toan's shot that hit the post in the first minute of stoppage time.

These results propelled Ninh Binh to the top of the V-League standings. The team now has 6 points, equal to Cong an Ha Noi, but leads on goal difference (+4 compared to +3). Da Nang, Nam Dinh, Cong an TP HCM, and Bac Ninh all have 3 points, ranking 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 9th respectively.

Starting lineups:

Da Nang: Do Sy Huy, Matias Fracchia, Que Ngoc Hai, Vo Huu Viet Hoang, Nguyen Hong Phuc, Yvo Rebori, Joel Brandon, Nguyen Minh Quang, Ivan Saponjic, Phan Van Long, Vo Nguyen Hoang

Nam Dinh: Tran Nguyen Manh, Tran Van Kien, Felix Eboa, Giap Tuan Duong, Tyler James Crawford, Caio Cesar, Romulo, Tran Manh Quynh, Tran Ngoc Son, Pham Tuan Hai, Ezequiel Santos.

Hieu Luong