Binh Duong saw off Thanh Hoa 2-0 in a Cup tie that opened the Round of 32 on Friday evening. The visitors held firm after taking an early lead, and here's the thing — they never looked as though they'd need to chase the game again.
D. Da Silva broke the deadlock in the thirty-fourth minute, finding space where the home defence had been too slow to react. Thanh Hoa pressed for an equaliser but the visitors' shape held together, and by then the match had already tilted in their favour.
The second goal came much later, in the eighty-third, when Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong finished a move that had worked its way through the midfield. Thanh Hoa had tired, and the visitors were happy to see it out rather than push for more.
Thanh Hoa have now lost four of their last five across all competitions, including that 0-4 defeat to Danang in June. Binh Duong, meanwhile, have won three of their last five and are building something steady.
The result sends Binh Duong through to the next round. Thanh Hoa's Cup run is over, and they'll need to turn their attention to the league if they want to salvage something from the season.
