By defeating CAHN Club, The Cong Viettel won the first half of the V-League season.

Tien Anh helped The Cong Viettel rise to prominence.

Viettel Sports Club is arguably the most formidable opponent for Hanoi Police Club (CAHN). Despite fluctuating strengths and weaknesses, Quang Hai and his teammates consistently face Viettel Sports Club in matches that result in either a draw or a loss. Viettel Sports Club's solid defense and lightning-fast counter-attacks not only neutralize CAHN but also haunt teams that prefer to control possession.

Viettel's confidence was evident in their approach to the match. Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team fielded only three attacking players – Pedro Henrique, Nham Manh Dung, and Amarildo – upfront, yet still created dangerous situations for the CAHN club's defense. In the 5th minute, Pedro made a powerful run down the left edge of the penalty area and fired a shot from a tight angle, but goalkeeper Nguyen Filip made a save.

Truong Tien Anh (in red) made the difference with a beautiful left-footed long-range shot.

It wasn't until the 15th minute that CAHN Club responded. In the 15th minute, noticing goalkeeper Pham Van Phong had advanced, Phan Van Duc took a daring long-range shot. However, the ball lacked the spin needed to get past the goalkeeper of The Cong Viettel.

The difference came in the 20th minute, when Truong Tien Anh broke through the CAHN FC defense with a moment of brilliance. Taking advantage of a loose clearance by center-back Hugo Gomes of the visiting team, Tien Anh surged forward, feigning a move to push the ball onto his left foot to bypass the opposing defender, then unleashed a powerful shot into the near corner. The ball hit the post and went into the net, leaving goalkeeper Nguyen Filip helpless.

Tien Anh's goal marked a turning point, shifting the match in a predictable direction. The Cong Viettel retreated into a defensive formation with a large number of players, while CAHN Club pressed forward. However, just like in previous encounters between the two teams, CAHN Club had more possession but struggled against the disciplined and tight defense of the home team, The Cong Viettel.

The Cong Viettel (left) defends tightly.

It wasn't until the end of the first half that CAHN FC found their second shot, when Le Pham Thanh Long's long-range strike went over the crossbar. The rest of the time, Nguyen Quang Hai, Leo Artur, and Alan Grafite all failed to find the back of Van Phong's net.

A tense battle of wits.

In the second half, CAHN FC took a risk by pushing their formation higher up the field. Instead of passing in midfield, the visitors exploited the space on the flanks more, with crosses for Artur and Grafite to create opportunities. This approach allowed coach Alexandre Polking's players to play more freely and create more dangerous situations.

However, against the solid defense commanded by captain Bui Tien Dung of The Cong Viettel, CAHN Club still couldn't break through the "wall" at My Dinh Stadium.

Coach Polking's attacking style proved to be a "double-edged sword," and CAHN FC paid the price in the 67th minute. Nguyen Huu Thang delivered a quality left-footed pass from his own half, allowing Amarildo to sprint from midfield before the home team's foreign player beat goalkeeper Nguyen Filip in a one-on-one situation, increasing the score to 2-0.

Amarildo shines

With a comfortable lead, Viettel Sports Club freely deployed their preferred counter-attacking style of play. Numerous scoring opportunities were created, but both Amarildo and Tan Tai missed their chances. Conversely, Hanoi Sports Club became increasingly ineffective and disjointed in their attacks, as their players failed to connect with each other.

CAHN's efforts only resulted in a consolation goal from Leo Artur in the 85th minute, with a decisive shot that beat Van Phong. However, The Cong Viettel played solidly to protect their slender one-goal lead.

By defeating CAHN FC, The Cong Viettel won the first half of the V-League 2024-2025 season with 25 points after 13 matches. Meanwhile, CAHN FC finished 7th with 17 points.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/danh-bai-clb-cahn-the-cong-viettel-vo-dich-luot-di-v-league-185250219201533357.htm