Hanoi Police Club vs The Cong - Viettel: Waiting for Coach Popov to show his talent

thể công - viettel - Ảnh 1. — Coach Popov has a knack for cup titles - Photo: NGOC LE

The Cong - Viettel Club has ended the V-League 2024 - 2025 with 4th place on the rankings. If they cannot win the National Cup, this will be the 5th consecutive season that the army team has been empty-handed in the domestic arena.

Popov and his fate with the National Cup

Therefore, winning against Hanoi Police Club in the National Cup semi-final taking place at 7:15 p.m. tonight, June 26, is a must for coach Velizar Popov and his students.

That will also be an affirmation of the talent of the Bulgarian strategist, who is known as the "king of cup matches", in every football country he has set foot in throughout his career.

Coach Popov himself once shared that he prefers cup tournaments, where teams are eliminated in knockout rounds, rather than league tournaments. The Eastern European coach showed his affinity with cup titles, when he won the Maldives Cup and Super Cup with New Radiant Club and recently the Vietnam National Cup and Super Cup with Thanh Hoa Club.

With V-League no longer being a priority in the final rounds, Coach Popov and his players seem to have prepared everything for the decisive semi-final match of the National Cup with the Hanoi Police Club. Mr. Popov will demonstrate his cunning, cunning and tricks to surprise the opponent in the upcoming match.

thể công - viettel - Ảnh 2. — The match between Hanoi Public Security and The Cong - Viettel will be a "fierce" battle - Photo: NGOC LE

Sometimes in matches between two teams of similar strength and form, the coach's mark can be the turning point.

The Cong - Viettel Club and Cong An Ha Noi are two such teams at the moment. Neither team is superior to the other in terms of ability and performance. They have both won 12 matches in the V-League this season, with only 1 point separating them on the rankings. They are both led by foreign coaches who prefer an attacking style of play and both strategists know each other very well after a long time working in Vietnam.

Both clubs also have a team of famous national players and quality scoring weapons. The best foreign player of Cong An Ha Noi Club is Alan Alexandre (14 goals). For The Cong - Viettel is Pedro Henrique (13 goals).

Drama on both the field and the stands

Coach Popov’s biggest obstacle is probably his record against the Hanoi Police Club. In his three seasons coaching Thanh Hoa, he only won two matches against the police team, lost three and only managed one draw.

However, when moving to a bigger club, maybe coach Popov can turn things around, because statistics are just numbers.

Bringing coach Popov back in mid-season to replace Nguyen Duc Thang, who is doing quite well, has shown the determination of the leadership of The Cong - Viettel Club. Coach Popov will not only have to strive for his own reputation but also carry the responsibility and expectations of a powerful force.

thể công - viettel - Ảnh 3. — Coach Popov has a poor record against Hanoi Police Club - Photo: NGOC LE

The Cong - Viettel is ambitious, but so is the Hanoi Police Club. Since being promoted and winning the V-League in 2023, the police team has not yet proven convincing as their playing style has not clearly shown their form and identity. In the past two seasons, they have changed many players and coaches, but have only achieved average rankings.

The runner-up position in the ASEAN Club Championship 2025 is not enough for Hanoi Police Club to assert themselves, because in football, no one remembers the runner-up. They need the National Cup championship to make everyone take their hats off.

The match between Hanoi Police Club and The Cong - Viettel on the evening of June 26 at Hang Day Stadium will therefore be extremely promising and worth waiting for.

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NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/clb-cong-an-ha-noi-dau-the-cong-viettel-cho-hlv-popov-tro-tai-20250625150657236.htm