Football always requires results.

The quarter-finals of the LPBank Securities National Cup 2025/26 concluded with scenarios that were largely predictable, as the higher-rated teams all secured advancement. Viettel, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, and CATP.HCM are the four sides that will appear in the semi-finals, promising fiery clashes for this prestigious title.

The focal point of the round was the breathless chase at Hoa Lu between Ninh Binh and PVF-CAND. A fair and thrilling match that lasted until the final seconds, where composure and a bit of luck named the home team. Meanwhile, at Thong Nhat Stadium, CATP.HCM also secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Truong Tuoi Dong Nai.

Many deliberately weave narratives of "backstage" scenarios around the defeat of the Southeastern team, but professional reality reveals a different perspective. Under the guidance of coach Le Huynh Duc, CATP.HCM effectively utilized home advantage and the experience of key players to decide the match.

In top-level football, individual errors, such as a red card or a penalty-inducing situation like Tan Sinh's, are often the inevitable result of suffocating pressure created by the favored team, rather than baseless assumptions about "giving way".

For coach Le Huynh Duc, focusing maximally on the National Cup is a reasonable strategic calculation, as the V-League arena is witnessing fierce competition. The professionalism and dedication of golden-generation stars like him, or his colleague on the other side Nguyen Viet Thang, are beyond dispute.

Looking broadly at the national team level, the squad list for the March FIFA Days gathering under coach Kim Sang Sik is also receiving significant attention. His priority to test new defensive elements in the two matches against Bangladesh and Malaysia (following AFC's disciplinary action) is a smart calculation. This is not complacency, but a tactical move to build a deep succession system, preparing for more important campaigns in 2026.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is inheriting and developing very well the legacy left by his predecessor Park Hang Seo. He knows how to select personnel based on actual performance and suitability with playing philosophy, rather than rumors about "connections" or "strings" often arising from ill-intentioned viewpoints.

Football always requires results, but those results must be built on a foundation of professionalism, personal effort, and macro-level tactical calculations. Victories achieved "without fighting" do not exist in the dictionary of modern football. They are always the outcome of an unceasing process of exertion.