Hanoi Police Football Team and the challenge of bravery

Carelessness

Hanoi Police entered the 1/8 round of AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 with many expectations. In fact, coach Polking's team took advantage of the home advantage to win 4-0 against Tampines Rovers in the first leg.

This result almost guarantees the Vietnamese football representative a place in the quarterfinals, if there are no off-field incidents. However, it was the mistake in management that reversed everything.

According to the regulations of the Asian Football Confederation, players who receive enough yellow cards according to regulations must serve automatic suspension in the next match. Two foreign players Stefan Mauk and Rogerio Alves both received 3 cards in the group stage, but were still registered to play and play in the match against Tampines, Alves even scored 1 goal. In the end, AFC decided to defeat Hanoi Police 0-3 against the opponent from Singapore.

This is an unbelievable mistake, especially for a club that is heavily invested and aims to go deep in the continental arena. Not only losing the score advantage, Hanoi Police also suffered financial and image losses. This incident raises big questions about the process of controlling match records, as well as the coordination between the coaching staff and the administrative department.

From a wide-open position to advance, Quang Hai and his teammates were pushed into a position where they were forced to win big in the second leg taking place away from home. This mistake changed the whole situation, turning the rematch into a "do-or-die battle" for Hanoi Police.

Away pressure

The second leg at Tampines Stadium brings a big challenge for Hanoi Police. Artificial turf is not an ideal condition for teams that prefer short-range control and coordination. Highly technical players like Quang Hai, Alan, Artur or Dinh Bac will have to adapt quickly if they want to deploy an attacking style of play.

On Tampines Rovers' side, with a great advantage after being defeated 3-0, they can completely choose a cautious approach, prioritizing defense and waiting for counter-attack opportunities. The relatively stable home record helps Singapore's representative to be more confident in preserving the advantage.

Hanoi Police need to solve the tactical problem, and at the same time overcome considerable psychological pressure. Winning with a large gap away from home has never been a simple task, especially in the context that opponents have the right to play defensively in numbers.

This away trip will decide the fate of Hanoi Police at the AFC Cup C2, and is also considered a test of bravery, preparation and professionalism of this team.

Mistakes have occurred, but the way they perform on the pitch will show how mature they have become in the continental arena.