Waiting for the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club to prove its strength.

Ho Chi Minh City Police FC will play away at Hang Day Stadium (Hanoi), facing The Cong Viettel in Round 2 of the V-League 2025-2026 on the evening of August 22nd (FPT Play).

Ho Chi Minh City Police FC impressed with a convincing victory over Hanoi FC at their home stadium, Thong Nhat, on the opening day of the 2025-2026 V-League season. With such a dream start, coach Le Huynh Duc's team is quickly being considered a title contender this season.

Can we break the winless streak in Hanoi?

The first match of the new season always holds many surprises, and the result doesn't accurately reflect the true strength of each team. Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC needs a positive result when competing against strong opponent The Cong Viettel to prove its status as a contender for the V-League championship.

When they were still under their old name, the team playing at Thong Nhat Stadium often struggled to earn points when playing in Hanoi. Statistics from last season's V-League show that Ho Chi Minh City FC only managed to get 1 point in 3 matches played in the capital, including a draw against Hanoi Police, and losses to Hanoi FC and The Cong Viettel.

Despite recent progress, the Ho Chi Minh City team has yet to break its winless streak in Hanoi since 2017. Recently, fans were thrilled to witness the excellent performance of Ho Chi Minh City Police against Hanoi FC. They hoped that coach Le Huynh Duc's team would maintain their high form and secure three points when they play at Hang Day Stadium against The Cong Viettel.

Will the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club (center) prove its strength through the results of Round 2 of the V-League 2025-2026? (Photo: HOANG TRIEU)

In the last five encounters between the two teams, The Cong Viettel has won two matches and drawn two against Ho Chi Minh City Police. The Cong Viettel has also never lost when hosting Ho Chi Minh City Police at home since 2007.

This season, the "military team" is also a contender for the domestic championship, having recruited many young, ambitious players with experience and high professional skills. In their opening match of the V-League 2025-2026, The Cong Viettel nearly won against Hanoi Police, and the 1-1 draw between the two capital city teams was also considered to be of high professional quality.

Under the guidance of veteran Bulgarian strategist Velizar Popov, The Cong Viettel's playing style gradually became more cohesive and fluid. The lines coordinated smoothly, harmonized, and achieved high effectiveness when applying a counter-attacking defensive strategy.

Meanwhile, despite not having many star players in their lineup, the Ho Chi Minh City Police team is a united group. The players quickly grasp the coaching staff's playing philosophy and know how to adapt tactics appropriately to each stage and development of the match.

Defeating a well-known opponent like Hanoi FC also created a psychological boost for coach Le Huynh Duc's team before their away match in the capital against hosts The Cong Viettel.

Strength from the defense

The victory of Ho Chi Minh City Police FC in their opening match of the 2025-2026 V-League season was largely thanks to their defense. The trio of central defenders Matheus Felipe, Khổng Minh Gia Bảo, and Trần Hoàng Phúc, along with goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang, provided excellent cover for each other. Their keen situational awareness, well-timed interceptions, and effective defensive strategies helped Ho Chi Minh City Police FC neutralize most of the diverse attacking waves from Hanoi FC.

Furthermore, the mobility of wingers Vo Huy Toan and Le Quang Hung not only helped Coach Le Huynh Duc's team relieve pressure from the opponent but also increased their ability to support attacks down the flanks. Quang Hung provided the assist for Tien Linh's opening goal, while Huy Toan exchanged passes gracefully with his teammate on the left wing before unleashing a powerful shot to extend the lead for Ho Chi Minh City Police FC.

A solid defense is the foundation that allows the attacking line to play with confidence and fulfill their assigned tasks. Changes in the starting lineup of Ho Chi Minh City Police under coach Le Huynh Duc have helped the midfield control the ball more and proactively launch attacks from their own half. In particular, midfielders Duc Phu, Endrick, and Quoc Cuong act as "satellites," supplying the attack with balls, as well as supporting the defense and intercepting attacks from afar.

Coach Le Huynh Duc commented: "The team added new players before the season, but they haven't had enough time to get acquainted and train together. If the different lines coordinate better in the coming time, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club will be a difficult team to beat."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cho-clb-cong-an-tp-hcm-chung-to-thuc-luc-196250821211251908.htm