Coach Polking is on the verge of winning his first national championship title.

After round 20 of the V-League 2025-2026, the profile of the champion became clearer when Hanoi Police FC won 4-2 against SLNA, while The Cong Viettel only drew 3-3 with Da Nang last night, April 26th.

A dramatic chase for the lead.

At Chi Lang Stadium, The Cong Viettel had a relatively difficult start, falling behind in the very first minute to a goal from Da Nang FC's foreign player, Brandon Lopez. However, with the composure of a championship contender, coach Velizar Popov's players remained calm and confident, putting significant pressure on the opponent's goal. As a result, Lucao scored two goals in the first half to give the visitors the lead, with a powerful long-range shot and a clever move followed by a clean finish. Towards the end of the first half, The Cong Viettel's goalkeeper, Van Viet, made an indecisive mistake, allowing Milan Makaric to head in the equalizer, making the score 2-2 for Da Nang FC.

Dinh Bac is outstanding.

Coach Polking has transformed CAHN FC into a team that plays attractive, effective, and very consistent attacking football this season.

PHOTO: MINH TU

In the second half, The Cong Viettel continued to dominate, constantly creating dangerous opportunities towards goalkeeper Van Toan's goal. However, it wasn't until the 74th minute that The Cong Viettel took the lead 3-2 with a neat shot from Viet Tu. Ironically, Viet Tu committed a foul in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty for The Cong Viettel in the 90th minute. From 11 meters, Lopez unleashed a decisive shot, leveling the score at 3-3 and securing a valuable point for Da Nang FC. This allowed the team from the Han River to temporarily escape the bottom of the table (they have the same 13 points as PVF-CAND but are ranked higher due to goal difference).

Dinh Bac shines again.

For The Cong Viettel, yesterday's draw felt like a defeat, because in the last match of the round, Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) easily beat SLNA 4-2 to extend their lead over second-placed SLNA to 9 points (51 compared to 42). A hat-trick from Dinh Bac and a goal from Minh Phuc secured all three points for CAHN. SLNA also played hard, scoring two goals thanks to Olaha. Notably, Dinh Bac is in excellent form, having scored 7 goals in his last 4 matches, and is expected to continue his impressive performance with CAHN.

With only 6 rounds remaining in this V-League season and CAHN FC's impressive form (4 wins, 1 draw in their last 5 matches), Coach Polking's team is very close to winning the championship. Unless an upset occurs, CAHN FC will lift the trophy at the end of the season, meaning Coach Polking will have his first national championship title. He has won the AFF Cup twice with the Thai national team, the National Cup, and the National Super Cup with CAHN FC, but has never lifted the trophy in a league-style competition. Previously, he finished second twice in the Thai League while coaching Bangkok United.

In the other match on April 26th, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC ended their three-match losing streak with a thrilling 1-0 victory over Ha Tinh FC. Coach Le Huynh Duc's contribution was evident when he benched Tien Linh, replacing him with striker Williams Lee as the main forward. It was this Vietnamese-English player who shone with a clever run and a header that scored the only goal of the match after a pass from Quoc Cuong. Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC's defenders, such as goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik, center-backs Gia Bao and Matheus, also deserve praise for their focused and resilient play, helping the club secure the win.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-polking-sap-co-danh-hieu-vdqg-dau-tien-185260426222919345.htm