The withdrawal of Cement Xuan Thanh Saigon from Vietnam’s top-tier V-League 2013 will cause disorder in the rankings of participant teams on the table, especially with the league ending in two rounds.
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It is due to a regulation which stipulates that all of the competition results of a team against others will be annulled if the team leaves an ongoing league. Yesterday, the Saigon team officially confirmed in a written document that it will leave the 2013 V-League to protest a decision by the Vietnam Football Federation to deduct four points for a low-spirited performance in a match on August 10.
As a result Song Lam Nghe An, with 36 points after 20 rounds, will lose six points, as it defeated Cement Xuan Thanh Saigon in both legs. In the mean time, Hanoi T&T, which is leading the league with 38 points, will now have 34 left. SHB Da Nang will also lose two points.
The VFF will issue new decision regarding the relegation battle after the withdrawal of Cement Xuan Thanh Saigon.
Cement Xuan Thanh Saigon will be fined at least VND100 million (US$4,800) for the withdrawal.
The team’s key players went home and missed a training session yesterday.
The team’s coach, Tran Tien Dai, said simply, “I have been under a lot of pressure.”
