Popov was upset after the match PVF-CAND 2-2 The Cong Viettel

The Cong Viettel left the PVF-CAND stadium with only 1 point after a 2-2 draw when they conceded a goal in the final minute of extra time. That climax ended an evening in which a traffic jam caused the visitors to arrive 40 minutes late and the match had to be postponed for another hour, weighing heavily on coach Velizar Popov's angry press conference.

The decisive injury time and the two-halves

PVF-CAND took the lead early on from Amarildo Junior’s deflected shot, then actively defended and counter-attacked, suffocating the tempo for most of the first half. After the break, coach Popov’s adjustments helped Viettel change the game: Kyle Colonna equalized with a header and Khuat Van Khang put the visitors up 2-1 with a decisive shot.

But the script ended cruelly for Viettel. In the last minute of extra time, veteran Hoang Vu Samson appeared to bring the match back to the starting line, setting the result at 2-2.

Pre-kick-off incident and heavy atmosphere

After the match, coach Velizar Popov entered the press conference with a heavy heart. He admitted that he did not want to say anything about the performance as what happened before the match overwhelmed everything: "There is nothing to say. I just want to talk about football."

Regarding the incident of being late due to traffic jams and the postponement of the match, the Bulgarian coach only used two words: "ridiculous" and refused to go into details. The psychological impact was evident in the way he closed many questions with a short: "Enough is enough."

Adjust tactics, be cautious about personnel

On the pitch, the changes after the break had a direct effect with two goals, showing Viettel's timely adaptation of their approach to the home team's low defensive block. However, Popov did not comment in depth on the technical aspects when asked, keeping his point of view to avoid getting bogged down in details.

When asked about the decision to start Damian, he refused to get into personal matters: “Whoever trains well deserves to play.” The message here is clear: starting places must be guaranteed by performance on the training ground, not post-match explanations.

Post-match buzz and message on goals

When asked about the title challenge, Popov’s answer was terse: “Which race? We are not in any race.” Given Viettel had just conceded a stoppage-time victory, it was his way of ending an evening in which off-field factors had swayed the focus of the story.

Key highlights

• The away team arrived at the stadium only about 40 minutes before kick-off due to traffic; the match was postponed for another hour.
• PVF-CAND opened the scoring with a deflected shot by Amarildo Junior.
• Viettel turned the tables in the second half: Kyle Colonna headed the equalizer, Khuat Van Khang raised the score to 2-1.
• Hoang Vu Samson equalized 2-2 in the last minute of extra time.
• Coach Velizar Popov avoided talking about personnel, emphasizing the criterion "whoever practices well will be able to compete".

The match ended with a sense of loss for Viettel and a straightforward message from Popov. In a round of V.League, the sideline story overshadowed the 90 minutes, leaving more thoughts than the usual tactical analysis.