Ho Chi Minh City, 13 September, 2025 – Head coach Le Huynh Duc and his Ho Chi Minh City Police FC side extended their unbeaten home run at Thong Nhat Stadium after holding reigning champions Nam Dinh to a 0-0 draw in an early Round 6 fixture of the V.League 1 – 2025/26 season.
While the league officially resumes next weekend with Round 3, both teams had to play their Round 6 clash ahead of schedule to accommodate Nam Dinh’s international commitments. Despite the unusual timing, the encounter delivered intensity and drama.
Nam Dinh, under coach Vu Hong Viet, started brightly and enjoyed greater possession in the first half. Their best chance came in the 38th minute when Vietnam international Van Vi unleashed a powerful strike from just outside the penalty area. However, goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang reacted sharply to deny the visitors the breakthrough.
Ho Chi Minh City Police FC’s defensive line, marshalled by the solid pairing of Matheus Felipe and young talent Khong Minh Gia Bao, further frustrated Nam Dinh’s attacking efforts. The well-organized backline limited the champions to half-chances, leaving the visitors searching for answers.
In attack, the home team looked dangerous on the counter. Shortly after the restart, Nguyen Tien Linh latched onto a long pass from Markrillos and found himself one-on-one with veteran goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh. However, his effort was stopped in crucial fashion to keep the score level.
The best chance for Ho Chi Minh City Police FC to claim all three points arrived in the 82nd minute. Bui Ngoc Long delivered a precise cross into the penalty area, finding Raphael Utzig unmarked inside the six-yard box. To the dismay of home fans, Utzig’s header flew narrowly wide despite an open goal in front of him.
Nam Dinh responded with a late scare of their own. In stoppage time, Tran Van Cong’s long-range effort whistled just past the post, leaving Le Giang beaten but spared by inches.
At the final whistle, the two sides shared the spoils. For Le Huynh Duc’s team, the result is seen as a positive outcome, keeping their unbeaten home record intact. With 7 points collected so far, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC temporarily climb to fifth in the standings.
Nam Dinh, meanwhile, remain level on points with the hosts but sit one place higher thanks to superior goal difference. However, the champions risk falling further behind the leading group if they cannot find more consistency in upcoming rounds.
The match highlighted the defensive resilience of Ho Chi Minh City Police FC and underlined Nam Dinh’s challenge of balancing domestic competition with international duties.
Gia Linh
Leave a Reply