Hanoi, 23 October 2025 – Despite dominating much of the game, Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) were held to a 1-1 draw by Macarthur FC at Hang Day Stadium on October 23, in the third round of Group E at the AFC Champions League Two 2025–2026, but still retained first place in the group standings.
The clash at Hang Day Stadium was a meeting between two national cup winners — Vietnam’s Cup champions Hanoi Police FC and Australia’s Cup holders Macarthur FC. While CAHN reintroduced their historical name in 2023, Macarthur FC are a relatively new club, established in 2018.
Despite their cup success, Macarthur are not among Australia’s strongest sides, having finished only eighth in the A-League last season. The team features six foreign players, including former South Korean international Ji Dong-won and Indonesian forward Luke Vickery.
Entering the match without key striker Leonardo Artur, CAHN nonetheless controlled proceedings impressively. The hosts held 66% possession, completed nearly twice as many passes as their opponents, and edged the shot count 11–10, showing intent from the outset.
The breakthrough came in the 30th minute. After a Macarthur player lost the ball near the penalty area, Adou Leygley Minh quickly pressed to recover possession and set up Le Van Do, who fired a precise right-footed strike into the bottom left corner to give CAHN a 1-0 lead. The goal reflected the dominance of coach Mano Polking’s side, though their finishing once again proved wasteful in key moments.
CAHN’s wide play remained sharp, creating several promising crosses and cut-backs. In the 37th minute, Vitao dribbled past his marker and shot from a tight angle, forcing goalkeeper Filip Kurto into a difficult save. After the break, Dinh Bac released Alan Sebastiao through on goal in the 64th minute, but the Brazilian forward missed narrowly instead of passing to the unmarked Vitao.
In a blow for the hosts, goalkeeper Nguyen Filip was substituted in the 72nd minute due to injury, replaced by Vu Thanh Vinh. Just four minutes later, Macarthur capitalized on a right-wing corner as towering defender Tomislav Uskok (1.96 m) rose highest to head the ball powerfully into the top corner, equalizing 1-1.
From that point, CAHN’s energy levels began to fade. Though Quang Hai and Phan Van Duc both had late chances, their efforts were blocked by the well-organized Australian defense. Despite their superior control and creativity, Hanoi Police FC had to settle for a single point at home.
With the draw, CAHN remain unbeaten in Group E with one win and two draws, staying top with five points. Macarthur FC and Hong Kong’s Tai Po follow closely behind with four points each, while Beijing sit bottom with two.
The two sides will meet again on November 6, when CAHN travel to Australia for the return fixture against Macarthur FC, hoping to reclaim full points and strengthen their bid for knockout qualification in the AFC Champions League Two 2025–2026.
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