In the 28th minute of Thanh Hoa's 1-1 draw with Ho Chi Minh City FC on the evening of December 16, center back Nguyen Thanh Long tackled Ho Tuan Tai right before the Ho Chi Minh City FC striker had a chance to enter the penalty area to face the goalkeeper. Referee Nguyen Manh Hai initially showed a yellow card, but after consulting VAR, he overturned the decision and showed a direct red card.

"Did Thanh Long deserve a red card?", coach Velizar Popov asked at a press conference after the match at Thanh Hoa Stadium. "We had a defender down there, but the referee changed his decision after consulting VAR. Can anyone explain?".

Coach Popov affirmed that he did not complain about the referee but just wanted to find an answer. The Bulgarian coach then compared it to a similar situation in the match between Thanh Hoa and Viettel, where they drew 1-1 at Hang Day Stadium in round 2. In the 45th minute, a Thanh Hoa player kicked the ball long for Rimario to escape and face the goalkeeper, but was blocked by Phan Tuan Tai. Referee Nguyen Manh Hai gave a yellow card to the Viettel defender and upheld the decision after consulting VAR.

"I'm not afraid to speak out because everything must be clear," said coach Popov. "Otherwise, I accept Thanh Long's red card."

Thanh Long's red card stemmed from a bad pass in midfield by midfielder Nguyen Thai Son - who has played regularly for the club and the Vietnam national team in recent times. Coach Popov said that it is normal for young players to make mistakes, the important thing is their physical strength and will. He said: "Thai Son has been playing officially since the end of last season so he has little time to rest. I want him to continue to work hard, there is no pressure."

Despite having to play with one less player, Thanh Hoa still played proactively and opened the score from the penalty spot thanks to Rimario in the 77th minute. Before that, Vo Huu Viet Hoang let the ball touch his hand in the visitors' penalty area. However, the home team could not keep the result after a somewhat lucky goal in the 81st minute by Ho Chi Minh City Club, when Ho Tuan Tai's shot hit Dinh Tien Thanh's leg, causing the ball to go beyond the reach of goalkeeper Trinh Xuan Hoang.

Although they did not win, coach Popov was satisfied with the spirit of his players. Thanh Hoa still showed a cohesive style of play and even the injured players still ran, followed the tactics and gave their all when entering the field.

This draw caused Thanh Hoa to miss the opportunity to take the top spot in the Night Wolf V-League 2023-2024 national championship in the context of Nam Dinh losing 2-3 to Binh Duong. Thanh Hoa has 12 points, ranked third, one point behind Binh Duong and Nam Dinh. However, the Thanh team is the only unbeaten club in the V-League with three wins and three draws.

Hieu Luong