CAHN beat PVF-CAND 2-0: turning point from penalty

Hanoi Police beat PVF-CAND 2-0, with the opening goal coming from the penalty spot, breaking the tight defense that the visitors had prepared. The victory helped coach Mano Polking and his team extend their unbeaten streak to 9 matches and reach 20 points, equal to Ninh Binh but with a lower goal difference. PVF-CAND continued to be in crisis when they did not win 7 consecutive matches, ranking 11th with 7 points, only 1 point above the bottom team.

Turning point from penalty spot

In a tight match, the penalty was the turning point of the match. Coach Thach Bao Khanh himself admitted: “CAHN, for me, is the strongest team in the tournament right now, they have many quality national players in their squad. Our strategy for this match was to proactively defend from the start. My players played well until they conceded a goal from the penalty spot.”

After that situation, PVF-CAND was forced to change their playing style: “For me, that penalty was a bit heavy-handed. When losing, PVF-CAND was forced to push up their formation to find an equalizer, leading to gaps in their defense.” From a proactive defensive position, they were forced to open up their formation, giving up control of the game to their opponents and were unable to reverse the result.

PVF-CAND's defensive plan and limitations

PVF-CAND built a defensive plan from the start and showed good organization in the first half. Coach Thach Bao Khanh emphasized: “We will have to improve this even though today we played better defense than in previous rounds. PVF-CAND played well in the first half, the players covered each other and made it difficult for Hanoi Police to have many opportunities.”

Against the “strongest opponent in the tournament” according to the PVF-CAND coach himself, maintaining a compact formation, covering and limiting space is key. However, a decision at the 11m mark forced them to deviate from the original scenario. As the formation pushed up, gaps appeared and the defensive risks increased, making the initial attempt to defend no longer intact.

Performance streak and impact on the race

With this victory, Hanoi Police have their fourth win in the last 5 rounds, continuing to chase Ninh Binh with 20 points and only behind in goal difference. More importantly, Mr. Mano Polking's team still maintains an unbeaten streak after 9 matches, creating a stable foundation for the long-term race in the V-League.

On the other hand, PVF-CAND suffered their second consecutive defeat, extending their winless streak to seven matches. 11th place with seven points and just one point above the bottom team puts them under increasing pressure to avoid relegation, especially as the upcoming schedule requires better risk management at crucial moments of the match.

Tactical perspective: when “game state” decides

Facing an opponent highly regarded for their individual quality, PVF-CAND chose to slow down, shrink their formation and prioritize cover. That plan worked until the penalty goal appeared. From the moment they had to open up their formation, the principles of mass defense were no longer fully utilized; gaps behind the lines were exposed, and the pressure of transitioning caused errors to increase. In that picture, CAHN kept the rhythm of the match as they wanted and preserved their advantage to close out the 2-0 victory.

Notable statements

Coach Thach Bao Khanh: “For me, CAHN is the strongest team in the tournament right now. They have many quality national players in their squad... My players played well until they conceded a goal from the penalty spot.”

Coach Thach Bao Khanh: "For me, that penalty was a bit heavy-handed... When losing, PVF-CAND was forced to push up their formation to find an equalizer, leading to gaps in the defense."

Coach Thach Bao Khanh: "We will have to improve this even though today we played better defense than in previous rounds... In the first half, PVF-CAND played well, the players covered for each other and made it so that Hanoi Police did not have many opportunities."

Selected statistics

• Score: Hanoi Police 2-0 PVF-CAND
• Turning point: Opening the score from the penalty spot
• CAHN: Unbeaten in 9 matches; won 4/5 most recent rounds; 20 points, behind Ninh Binh in goal difference
• PVF-CAND: No win in 7 matches; lost 2 consecutive matches; ranked 11th with 7 points; 1 point above the bottom team

CTVX