Hanoi Police Club vs The Cong - Viettel: Waiting for Coach Popov to show his talent

thể công - viettel - Ảnh 1. — Coach Popov has a knack for cup titles - Photo: NGOC LE

The Cong - Viettel Club has ended the 2024 - 2025 V-League with 4th place on the rankings. If they cannot win the National Cup, this will be the 5th consecutive season that the army team has been empty-handed in the domestic arena.

Popov and his fate with the National Cup

Therefore, winning against Hanoi Police Club in the National Cup semi-final match taking place at 7:15 p.m. tonight, June 26, is a must for coach Velizar Popov and his students.

That will also be an affirmation of the talent of the Bulgarian strategist, who is known as the "king of cup matches", in every football country he has set foot in throughout his career.

Coach Popov himself once shared that he prefers cup tournaments, where teams are eliminated in the knockout rounds, rather than league tournaments. The Eastern European coach showed his affinity for cup titles, winning the Maldives Cup and Super Cup with New Radiant Club and recently the Vietnam National Cup and Super Cup with Thanh Hoa Club.

With no more priority for the V-League in the final rounds, Coach Popov and his players seem to have prepared everything for the decisive battle in the National Cup semi-final with the Hanoi Police Club. Mr. Popov will demonstrate his cunning, tricks and tricks to surprise the opponent in the upcoming match.

thể công - viettel - Ảnh 2. — The match between Hanoi Police and The Cong - Viettel will be a "fierce" battle - Photo: NGOC LE

Sometimes in matches between two teams with similar strength and form, the coach's mark is what can create a turning point.

The Cong - Viettel Club and Cong An Ha Noi are two such teams at the moment. Neither team is superior to the other in terms of ability and form. They have both won 12 matches in the V-League this season, with only 1 point separating them on the rankings. They are both led by foreign coaches who prefer an attacking style of play and both strategists know each other very well after a long time working in Vietnam.

Both clubs also have a team of famous national players and quality scoring weapons. The best foreign player of Cong An Ha Noi Club is Alan Alexandre (14 goals). For The Cong - Viettel is Pedro Henrique (13 goals).

Drama on the field and in the stands

Coach Popov's biggest obstacle is probably his record against the Hanoi Police Club. In his 3 seasons leading Thanh Hoa, he only won 2 matches against the police team, but lost 3 and only got 1 draw.

However, when moving to a bigger club, maybe coach Popov can turn things around, because statistics are just numbers.

Bringing coach Popov back in the middle of the season to replace the player who is doing well, Nguyen Duc Thang, has shown how determined the leadership of The Cong - Viettel Club is. Coach Popov will not only have to strive for his own reputation but also carry the responsibility and expectations of a powerful force.

thể công - viettel - Ảnh 3. — Coach Popov has a poor record against Hanoi Police Club - Photo: NGOC LE

The Cong - Viettel is ambitious, but so is the Hanoi Police Club. Since being promoted and winning the V-League in 2023, the police team has yet to prove itself convincingly as their playing style has yet to show its form and identity. In the past two seasons, they have changed many players and coaches, but have only achieved average rankings.

The runner-up position in the ASEAN Club Championship 2025 is not enough for Hanoi Police Club to assert themselves, because in football, no one remembers the runner-up. They need the National Cup championship to make everyone bow their heads.

The match between Hanoi Police Club and The Cong - Viettel on the evening of June 26 at Hang Day Stadium will therefore be extremely promising and worth waiting for.

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NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/club-cong-an-ha-noi-dau-the-cong-viettel-cho-hlv-popov-tro-tai-20250625150657236.htm