Coach Polking announced that, after extensive agreement, the coaching staff of CAHN FC has agreed to allow Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc to participate in the 33rd SEA Games from the start, instead of missing the opening match against U22 Laos.
Previously, according to an announcement from the VFF, Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc were required to serve CAHN FC in Asian and Southeast Asian cup matches until early December and could only join U22 Vietnam in Thailand after December 4th.
However, the police-affiliated club has changed its decision, meaning U22 Vietnam will have a full squad participating in the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc are important players for U22 Vietnam under coach Kim Sang Sik. CAHN FC’s decision to release them makes it much easier for the Korean tactician to plan his personnel and playing style for the upcoming match against U22 Laos.
On the evening of November 23rd, CAHN FC officially became former National Cup champions, after losing to The Cong Viettel in a risky penalty shootout (3-4).
Regarding the match, Coach Polking stated: “In the first half, we were somewhat stuck. In the second half, the whole team improved, created chances, and scored a goal. But penalty shootouts are always risky, even though we had practiced for this situation. The team needs to prepare better for the upcoming matches.”
The head coach of CAHN FC expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing, saying: “I don’t want to talk about the referees. Dinh Trong’s red card incident was a turning point. There was an offside situation, but the referee checked VAR for 8 minutes. Regarding Hugo’s situation at the end of the match, I just want to say that there was a foul on Quang Hai beforehand. If it wasn’t called, it could have led to a serious injury.”
The Cong Viettel coach Popov shared his feelings: “This was an important match for us, a great match, especially tactically, and the most important thing is that we advanced in the National Cup. For me, CAHN FC is the strongest team in Vietnam’s professional league, so my feelings are fantastic. The players performed well, especially tactically. Football is a team sport, and it’s unfair to talk about any individual. When we won the penalty shootout, I thanked God. It wasn’t luck; it was God and tactics.”
