Coach Popov only said three sentences after the defeat to HAGL.

26/10/2025 20:34:00 PlaymakerHub

On October 26 afternoon, HAGL Club hosted The Cong – Viettel Club at their home stadium in Pleiku during the 8th round of the LPBank V-League 2025 – 2026. In the context of the Mountain Town team struggling at the bottom of the standings without a win, facing the second-placed team made the hopes of coach Le Quang Trai’s players for points even more fragile. Yet, amid these slim hopes, HAGL achieved a convincing victory through a strategy of "knowing oneself and the opponent."

Right after referee Mai Xuan Hung blew the starting whistle, The Cong – Viettel demonstrated their power by quickly advancing and taking full control of the game. However, a surprise happened in the 24th minute when Jairo leapt high to head a cross from Hoang Vinh Nguyen into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet no chance to block it, opening the score 1–0 for HAGL. In the 61st minute, from a counterattack on the left flank, Ha Ryan made a decisive shot from a narrow angle, increasing the score to 2–0.

In the 77th minute, Lucao managed to score for the home team but the goal was disallowed due to offside. At 90 + 13 minutes, Lucao reduced the deficit to 1–2 with a brilliant free kick. That was also the last play of the match, with HAGL securing a 2–1 victory over The Cong – Viettel.

After the match, coach Le Quang Trai could not hide his happiness as his team secured their first win of the season: "I am very happy and proud of today’s victory. I want to thank all the players who worked hard, were dedicated, and fought to earn these 3 points. We carefully assessed the opponent and prepared well for this game."

In contrast to Le Quang Trai’s joy, coach Popov expressed disappointment and was very reserved during the press conference, giving only three brief replies: "The only thing I can say is congratulations to HAGL for earning 3 points. I don’t want to talk much about Vietnamese football anymore; I’m here only out of respect for the media. This was just a normal match; we will fix our mistakes and move forward."

In fact, facing an opponent clearly stronger both in squad and league standings, HAGL began as the "weaker side." The Mountain Town team did not keep much possession, deliberately played defensively and pressed quickly to win the ball near the penalty area. The defenders’ relentless effort created a real "wall" in front of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien’s goal. A typical example was Dinh Quang Kiet. Early in the second half, the 2007-born player collided with an opponent, required medical treatment, and was carried off on a stretcher. However, after regaining consciousness, he refused to be substituted and insisted on continuing to play. Only when he realized he was not physically fit did the young center-back request to be replaced.

"When Quang Kiet asked to return to the field, I was really worried because it was a dangerous head injury. However, Kiet said he wanted to play and contribute. Later, I saw he was dizzy on the pitch, so I decided to substitute him," said coach Le Quang Trai.

Frankly speaking, HAGL played a defensive counterattack style, but forwards like Hoang Vinh Nguyen and Nguyen Minh Tam were unable to make fast, clever breakthroughs to overcome the defenders’ pressure. Therefore, the Mountain Town team mostly relied on set-piece situations, with Jairo and Fraga participating inside the opponent’s penalty area. Thanks to their height and strong aerial ability, these two players were vital "cards" for coach Le Quang Trai throughout the match on October 26.

On the other side, although The Cong – Viettel controlled the game, their final actions were often unlucky. With the dynamism of Khuat Van Khang and Truong Tien Anh, the visitors frequently created attacks down the right wing. However, either the passes failed to reach the striker inside, or the target players lacked sharpness, preventing coach Popov’s team from scoring an equalizer in the first half.

This forced coach Popov to bring Nhâm Mạnh Dũng on at the start of the second half, replacing defender Dang Tuan Phong, with the intention of an all-out attack. At this point, the visitors played a 3–5–2 formation, with Nhâm Mạnh Dũng and Lucao as the central forwards. However, when going "all in," the visitors suffered a counterattack blow from HAGL.

This victory did not help HAGL much; they rose to 13th place in the standings, just one point ahead of Da Nang. However, securing the win will boost the Mountain Town team’s morale in the upcoming rounds.

"This win will give us confidence and serve as a foundation to strive and improve our position in the standings in the coming rounds," shared coach Le Quang Trai.

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