Coach Popov said something surprising about Bui Tien Dung's red card

Coach Popov praised the Viettel The Cong players in the 1-1 draw with Ninh Binh, especially the way the players overcame difficulties after the red card of central defender Bui Tien Dung.

In the 34th minute, Ninh Binh had an attack in the middle, Bui Tien Dung pulled Gustavo down before the home player finished. The referee did not hesitate to point to the 11m mark and showed a red card to the The Cong Viettel midfielder.

Despite being behind and playing with one less player after this situation, the away team still played resiliently, equalized 1-1, and left Ninh Binh Stadium with 1 point. The reasonable playing style and fighting spirit of The Cong Viettel players is something that coach Popov is very satisfied with.

Bui Tien Dung received a red card. Photo: D.C.

"I am proud of my players. Physically, tactically and mentally, the players performed very well. I just asked them to continue playing the way they have been playing. After Bui Tien Dung's red card, the team's reaction was great. We played well and deserved to equalize in the final minutes of the half. After this match, I still believe my team has the best defense.

We still have a lot to improve in every aspect of our play. This is just the beginning. The team needs to improve further, and I am sure we will play better in the upcoming matches," coach Popov affirmed.

On the other side of the front line, Ninh Binh coach Gerard Albadalejo commented: "The Cong Viettel is a very well-organized team, they maintain a clear structure, always maintain 2 horizontal lines of 4 people working hard, very cohesive. Unfortunately, we could not score the second goal to close the match.

Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel drew. Photo: D.C.

I tried to make changes to find a goal, but I have to admit that today's adjustments were not effective. Normally, the players who come on the field all make positive contributions, but today it was not like that. We made mistakes and The Cong Viettel took advantage of the opportunity to equalize."

"We drew two consecutive matches against very strong opponents. Today, everyone saw that The Cong Viettel is a direct opponent at the top of the table. This is a long tournament, with many matches ahead. It is true that the team feels regretful for not winning, but we need to learn lessons from matches like this. Everyone must continue to make efforts, the season is still very long," the captain of Ninh Binh Club concluded.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hlv-popov-noi-dieu-bat-ngo-ve-tam-the-do-cua-bui-tien-dung-2448554.html