Hanoi, 11 Sep 2026 – Hanoi Police FC secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over The Cong Viettel at Hang Day Stadium on the night of September 10, with Australian midfielder Stefan Mauk scoring the decisive goal deep into stoppage time. The visitors achieved the win despite playing with 10 men following Doan Van Hau’s straight red card in the second half.
With greater depth and quality in their squad, Hanoi Police FC took the initiative from the opening minutes, pushing forward and looking to dictate the game. Their aggressive pressing was also evident whenever possession was lost, with the visitors quickly closing down their opponents in an attempt to regain the ball and disrupt The Cong Viettel’s build-up play.
The Cong Viettel, meanwhile, adopted a compact defensive approach and looked to threaten through long passes and counter-attacks. However, Hanoi Police FC’s intense pressing significantly reduced the effectiveness of coach Velizar Popov’s strategy.
Despite being under pressure, The Cong Viettel remained disciplined at the back and successfully kept the visitors’ attackers quiet for much of the first half. One of the best chances came in the 38th minute when Nguyen Dinh Bac delivered a dangerous free-kick. The loose ball fell to Kevin Pham Ba, but his follow-up attempt failed to find the target.
The pattern continued after the break, with Hanoi Police FC controlling possession and forcing the hosts deep into their own half. However, they struggled to find a way through The Cong Viettel’s well-organized defense.
The match took a major turn in the 69th minute. During a midfield challenge, Doan Van Hau caught Doan Ngoc Tan with a dangerous tackle. Referee Ngo Duy Lan initially showed the Hanoi Police FC defender a yellow card, but after reviewing the incident on VAR, he overturned the decision and produced a straight red.
Reduced to 10 men, Hanoi Police FC were forced to surrender much of their control as The Cong Viettel began to push forward and exploit the extra space.
The hosts increasingly committed players to attack but lacked the creativity needed to break down Hanoi Police FC’s defense. Their eagerness to find a winner also left gaps at the back, and the visitors eventually punished them.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Le Van Do advanced down the left flank before delivering an accurate cross into the penalty area. Mauk timed his run perfectly and rose above the defense to power a header past goalkeeper Van Viet, giving Hanoi Police FC a dramatic 1-0 lead.
The Australian midfielder’s late strike proved to be the winner as 10-man Hanoi Police FC held on for all three points.
The victory maintained Hanoi Police FC’s perfect start to the V.League 1 season and sent them to the top of the standings with six points from their opening two matches.
VSN/RPT
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