The match between The Cong Viettel and Hanoi Police in round 1 of V.League 2025-2026 will take place at 7:15 p.m. tonight (August 15) at Hang Day Stadium.
However, the army team will not have the strongest force when goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet is absent.
According to the announcement from the organizing committee, Van Viet still has to serve the penalty from last season.
This goalkeeper received a red card in the match between Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai in round 25 of V.League 2024-2025 and was banned from playing 2 matches.
After being away in the final round of last season, the penalty will continue to be applied in the opening round of this year's season.
Although he left Song Lam Nghe An to join The Cong Viettel under a 2-year loan deal, Van Viet still had to sit out the official debut match with his new team.
This is considered a significant loss for the coach and coaching staff of The Cong Viettel, especially when the opponent Hanoi Police is considered the leading candidate for the championship.
Last season, the goalkeeper born in 2002 played 25/26 matches in the V.League and 4 matches in the National Cup for Song Lam Nghe An.
He made a great contribution to helping the Nghe An team successfully stay in the league and win the National Cup runner-up position.
Stable performance and good reflexes are the reasons why The Cong Viettel decided to bring him back to strengthen the defense.
The absence of Van Viet forced the army team to come up with a replacement in the goal for the opening match, in the context that the goal of a smooth start to the new season is a top priority.
