On the evening of February 8th, Dong A Thanh Hoa club entered the away match against Ho Chi Minh City Police in a context of serious weakness in force. The Thanh team only registered 17 players to play, including 11 starters and 6 substitutes. Notably, on the bench there are only 4 players for the positions above, the rest are 2 goalkeepers.
In the context of limited personnel, Thanh Hoa coaching staff proposed a special plan for goalkeeper Xuan Hoang. Instead of starting like the draw with Nam Dinh, Xuan Hoang was registered on the bench, ready to play in midfield, forward or center-back positions when necessary.
This is a temporary plan, to ensure that the team has enough substitution options in case of injury or penalty cards. In fact, Xuan Hoang has prepared Thanh Hoa's yellow jersey, instead of blue goalkeeper uniform.
In the goalkeeper position, coach Mai Xuan Hop chose Y Eli Nie. The goalkeeper born in 2001 had a very good performance when he had a series of impressive saves for the Thanh team.
Although not highly rated compared to Ho Chi Minh City Police - a team with a balanced force and considered a leading competitor, Dong A Thanh Hoa has well exploited the opportunities to create a difference.
Overseas Vietnamese midfielder Damoth was the decisive factor when he scored both goals for the away team in the 8th and 75th minutes. Ho Chi Minh City Police only narrowed the gap once, not enough to change the course of the match.
The 2-1 victory helped Dong A Thanh Hoa club close the first leg of V.League 2025-2026 with 12 points and temporarily rank 10th in the standings.
