Popov expressed his frustration after the PVF-CAND 2-2 The Cong Viettel match.

The Cong Viettel left the PVF-CAND stadium with only 1 point after a 2-2 draw, conceding an equalizer in the final minute of injury time. That dramatic moment concluded an evening where traffic congestion caused the visiting team to arrive 40 minutes late and the match to be delayed by another hour, weighing heavily on coach Velizar Popov's frustrated press conference.

Injury time decided the outcome, and the match was divided into two halves.

PVF-CAND took an early lead from Amarildo Junior's deflected shot, then adopted a defensive counter-attacking strategy, stifling the tempo for most of the first half. After the break, adjustments by coach Popov helped Viettel turn the tide: Kyle Colonna equalized with a header, and Khuất Văn Khang put the visitors ahead 2-1 with a decisive shot.

But the scenario ended in a cruel way for Viettel. Right in the final minute of injury time, veteran Hoang Vu Samson appeared to bring the game back to a tie, securing a 2-2 draw.

The incident before kick-off and the tense atmosphere.

After the match, coach Velizar Popov entered the press conference room in a somber mood. He admitted he didn't want to say anything about the performance, as what happened before the match had overshadowed everything else: "There's nothing to say. I just want to talk about football."

Regarding the incident of arriving late due to traffic and the match being delayed, the Bulgarian coach simply used the word "ridiculous" and refused to elaborate. The psychological impact was evident in how he ended many questions with the concise statement: "Enough is enough."

Adjust tactics, exercise caution regarding personnel.

On the pitch, the changes made after the break yielded direct results with two goals, demonstrating Viettel's timely adaptation of their approach against the home team's low defensive block. However, Popov declined to comment in depth on technical aspects when asked, maintaining a stance of avoiding getting bogged down in details.

When asked about his decision to start Damian, he declined to comment on the personal aspect, saying, "Whoever trains well deserves to play." The message is clear: a starting spot must be secured by performance in training, not by post-match explanations.

The post-match sentiment and the message about the objective.

When asked about the goal of winning the title, Popov's answer was concise: "What race? We're not in any race at all." In the context of Viettel having just let victory slip away in injury time, that was how he concluded an evening where off-field factors had shifted the focus of the story.

Key highlights

• The visiting team arrived at the stadium only about 40 minutes before kick-off due to traffic; the match was delayed by another hour.
• PVF-CAND opened the scoring with a deflected shot from Amarildo Junior.
• Viettel turned the tables in the second half: Kyle Colonna scored the equalizer with a header, and Khuất Văn Khang put Viettel ahead 2-1.
• Hoang Vu Samson equalized the score at 2-2 in the final minute of injury time.
• Coach Velizar Popov avoided discussing personnel, emphasizing the principle that "those who train well will get to play."

The match ended with a sense of missed opportunities for Viettel and a frank message from Popov. In a V.League round, off-field stories overshadowed the 90 minutes, leaving more room for reflection than the usual tactical analysis.