The Cong Viettel 1-0 Thanh Hoa: Dinh Viet Tu's masterpiece
A 26m left-footed shot in the 31st minute helped The Cong Viettel defeat Thanh Hoa 1-0 and return to the top 3 of round 9 of V-League 2025/26; Dinh Viet Tu said 50% was luck, assessing that Ninh Binh is dominating.
Dinh Viet Tu's left-footed shot from 26 meters away in the 31st minute brought a 1-0 victory for The Cong Viettel against Thanh Hoa in round 9 of V-League 2025/26. The three points brought the army team back to the top 3, continuing to chase Ninh Binh and CAHN in the race for the top of the table.
Key events: the decisive 31-minute moment
In a tight match, the turning point came in the 31st minute when Dinh Viet Tu - a player who used to play for the Thanh team - fired a beautiful left-footed shot from 26 meters away. The ball was so strong and dangerous that goalkeeper Xuan Hoang could not block it. The defender born in 1992 did not celebrate, showing respect to his former team. The 1-0 score was maintained until the end of the match, bringing aclean sheetand a minimal victory for The Cong Viettel.
Post-match reaction: collective effort and 50% luck
After the match, Dinh Viet Tu emphasized the significance of the three points in the context of the team's loss to HAGL in the previous round: "This victory is of great significance to The Cong. After the loss to HAGL in the previous round, the players all sat down and encouraged each other to make efforts. Today the team played with great effort. Before entering the field, we were determined to win the match to catch up with the teams above."
Talking about the masterpiece “falling yellow leaves”, he frankly said: “I didn’t think about anything in that situation, I saw the ball in front of me and just shot. In my opinion, this goal was 50% luck.”
Impact on the 2025/26 V-League championship race
With 3 points at Thanh Hoa Stadium, The Cong Viettel returned to the top 3, behind Ninh Binh (1) and CAHN (2). Commenting on the leading group, Dinh Viet Tu said that Ninh Binh is dominating: "Among the three teams, Ninh Binh is undefeated and has very good form this season. However, the race is still long and I think all teams have a chance."
Situation after round 9: CAHN close in, relegation race hot
The victory over PVF-CAND helped CAHN close in on Ninh Binh's top spot. Down below, the relegation race is becoming unpredictable.
Selected statistics
- Score: Thanh Hoa 0-1 The Cong Viettel
- Goal scorer: Dinh Viet Tu 31'
- Shooting distance: about 26 m
- Shooting foot: left foot
- Opposing goalkeeper: Xuan Hoang
- The Cong Viettel kept a clean sheet
Tactical perspective and competitive psychology
In a game where space is limited, long-range shooting is the solution that makes the difference. Dinh Viet Tu’s goal came from a timely individual decision, thereby breaking the deadlock. After the defeat in the previous round, the message emphasized is discipline and unity — factors that often shape the trajectory of a contender in the top half of the rankings.
The Cong Viettel regained their rhythm with a minimal victory, just enough to maintain the pressure on the two leading teams. With Ninh Binh being undefeated according to the scorer himself, the race at the top promises to be tense when “6-point” matches and moments like the 31st minute tonight become the fragile line between breaking through and running out of steam.
