In the 65th minute, Le Van Thuan burst into the penalty area from the right wing, then turned the ball, causing Phan Du Hoc to commit a foul. Referee Do Anh Duc initially did not call a penalty, prompting strong protests from Ninh Binh's technical staff. However, after reviewing the video, he pointed to the penalty spot. Geovane Magno placed a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner, deceiving goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and equalizing the score at 1-1.

Then, in the 84th minute, from outside the penalty area on the right flank, Van Thuan lifted his foot to feint once, then pushed the ball to the left before striking a left-footed shot into the far corner. The ball bounced off the ground, making it impossible for Trung Kien to save despite his full-stretch dive. Meanwhile, Thuan ran to the corner of the field, sat on an advertising board, and spread his arms in a proud celebration towards his teammates who were running to join him.

Ninh Binh FC midfielder Le Van Thuan celebrates the winning goal against HAGL in round 17 of V-League 2025-2026, at Pleiku Stadium in Gia Lai on 5/4/2026. *Photo: Ninh Binh FC*

Le Van Thuan, born in 2006, is a young talent from Thanh Hoa. Van Thuan stands out with his lean physique, good speed, and skillful left foot, earning him the nickname "Lamine Yamal of Thanh Hoa" among fellow players.

Thanh Hoa FC gave Thuan his V-League debut in the 2024-2025 season, where he was named the league's best young player, scoring two goals in 15 matches. This season, Thuan continued to score one goal in 10 matches before moving to Ninh Binh during the mid-season transfer window. His goal against HAGL was Thuan's first for his new team after five matches.

At the national team level, Thuan finished second in the 2022 AFF U16 Championship. Since 2025, he has been part of the squad that won the AFF U23 Championship, secured a gold medal at SEA Games 33, and finished third in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup. This midfielder has become a strategic substitute, contributing crucial goals, such as opening the scoring in the 2-0 victory over the Philippines in the SEA Games semifinals, or netting the winning goal in the 2-1 triumph against Kyrgyzstan in the AFC U23 Asian Cup group stage.

Before Van Thuan's standout performance, Ninh Binh faced difficulties against HAGL at Pleiku Stadium. Coach Vu Tien Thanh's squad was without Nguyen Hoang Duc due to injury, and striker Imoh Friday was suspended after accumulating three yellow cards. The visiting team conceded a goal to Vo Dinh Lam in the 12th minute and nearly conceded another in the 37th minute if the opponent had not been offside.

This marks Ninh Binh's first V-League victory in 2026, following five matches of draws and losses. It is also their second win after defeating PVF-CAND 3-2 in the National Cup quarterfinals. Ninh Binh solidifies their third-place position in the V-League with 31 points, trailing league leaders Cong an Ha Noi by 13 points.

Meanwhile, HAGL missed an opportunity to widen the gap with the bottom two teams. They currently sit in 12th place with 15 points, three points ahead of Da Nang and PVF-CAND.

Starting lineups:

HAGL: Tran Trung Kien, Dinh Quang Kiet, Jairo Filho, Vo Phuoc Bao, Phan Du Hoc, Nguyen Huu Anh Tai, Vo Dinh Lam, Cao Hoang Minh, Thanh Nhan, Marciel Silva, Elisio Batista

Ninh Binh: Dang Van Lam, Do Thanh Thinh, Tran Bao Toan, Le Ngoc Bao, Dung Quang Nho, Duc Chien, Truong Tien Anh, Tran Thanh Trung, Geovane Magno, Quoc Viet, Pham Gia Hung.

Hieu Luong