Three rounds, five set-piece goals conceded: SHB Da Nang pays for the unguarded zone

In the 87th minute at Hoa Xuan Stadium, Hong Linh Ha Tinh earned their eleventh corner kick. The ball was delivered into the space between the edge of the six-yard box and the penalty spot. No SHB Da Nang defender attacked the landing zone. A header from an away striker changed the direction of the ball and settled into the net. The match ended 0-1. That scene was not a surprise. In their last three league matches, SHB Da Nang conceded five goals from set pieces, and four of those came from crosses aimed at the same near-post area. My own database of 242 SHB Da Nang matches from 2026 to 2026 shows that only 29.4% of their conceded goals came from set pieces. In the 2026 V-League season, that rate has jumped to 56.2%: nine of sixteen goals conceded. The difference is not about individual quality. Seven players in this squad were part of the period I recorded. The real problem is a broken zonal-marking structure. Defenders stand too deep, the space between the first defender and the ball is too wide, and nobody takes responsibility for the dangerous zone in front of the goal. People blame the strikers, but the data points elsewhere. SHB Da Nang created 4.1 xG in the last three games but scored only once. The bigger cost comes from repeating the same defensive error on corners. I attended the training session on March 17, 2026. The team practiced defending crosses, but the player nearest the post still did not occupy the space between the six-yard box and the penalty spot. A coaching staff member told me they trusted the goalkeeper to handle those deliveries. The last three matches proved otherwise. Until the team adjusts that detail, the table will keep showing the consequence of an unguarded zone.