Nghe An Lam River explodes
Before the National Cup semi-finals took place, many people thought that the match between Song Lam Nghe An and Binh Duong would be as gloomy as the way these two teams showed in the V.League.
However, in a comfortable mood when staying safe in the league, Song Lam Nghe An had an exciting competitive spirit. The young players of the Nghe An team confidently showed their experience in front of the opponent's team.
Ho Van Cuong, Phan Ba Quyen, Vuong Van Huy, Nguyen Van Viet, Olaha, Kuku... all deserved to receive the applause of the audience. Vinh Stadium has never been as explosive and bustling as the recent semi-final.
Song Lam Nghe An took the lead twice and then let the opponent equalize. But in the end, their bravery and efforts helped Song Lam Nghe An score the decisive goal in the final minutes to seal a 3-2 victory over Binh Duong, thereby winning a ticket to the final.
It should be added that luck was also on the side of coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team, when no less than 10 of Binh Duong's shots reached the post and crossbar. At many times, the team from the land of Thu caused great pressure but also missed many opportunities.
The Cong Viettel disappointed
Many audiences have thought about a potential conflict, even a series of lucky penalties in the match between The Cong Viettel and Hanoi Police, under the leadership of two foreign coaches Popov and Polking.
However, a surprise occurred when The Cong Viettel " fell off the horse" too early with 2 consecutive goals conceded in the 14th and 18th minutes. When Huu Thang scored a goal to shorten the score to 1-2, just 1 minute later, Hanoi Police easily scored a third goal.
The lack of concentration in the defense, not covering each other, the goalkeeper making several missed positions and especially the disjointed lines are the reasons for the army team's disappointing performances.
Looking at the situation of the match, it is difficult to believe that The Cong Viettel can turn the game around. The second half was quite gloomy, coach Popov's students did not dare to penetrate the opponent's net and accepted the bronze medal.
Hanoi Police express their aspirations
Since the Southeast Asian Cup C1, Hanoi Police have returned to the domestic arena with a different mindset. With no more pressure and an easier match schedule, coach Polking and his team played better and better.
Quang Hai, Le Van Do, Alan, Leo Artur, Nguyen Filip and Viet Anh all played aggressively and effectively. Hai "son" is still skillful and magical, making the opponent's defense extremely difficult. The foreign pair continue to be "promising" strikers, while Viet Anh and Filip Nguyen bring solidity in front of the home team's goal.
Hanoi Police missed the opportunity to win a "three-point" victory when they only finished as runners-up in the Southeast Asian Cup C1 and 3rd in the V.League. However, they still have the National Cup arena with the goal of winning the championship to complete their mission in the 2024-2025 season. This championship also greatly affects the competition and transfer plans of the Police team next season.
sad statistics of coach Popov
In the 2024-2025 season, coach Popov is a rare person to lead 2 teams competing in the National Cup. In the first phase, he was the head coach of Thanh Hoa with the goal of defending the throne in this arena.
However, the defeat to Hai Phong in the round of 16 caused Thanh Hoa to be eliminated early and this was also part of the reason why the Bulgarian strategist left the team.
Moving to The Cong Viettel, coach Popov has partly brought a new vitality to the army team. The most important goal is to help The Cong Viettel win the national championship, just like the nickname "copy king" that fans give him.
However, in his second return to this playground, coach Popov continued to receive a sad ending when his team failed to defeat Hanoi Police and only won a bronze medal.
