Entering the final match of round 3, The Cong sat in 7th place with four points, having played one less game than the teams above them. However, against an opponent still struggling with their playing style and motivation, coach Velizar Popov's side secured their second victory of the season.

In the first half, The Cong's best chance came in the 24th minute. Pedro Henrique dribbled from midfield to the left before his shot struck the left post.

The visitors also had some quality counter-attacks. In the 31st minute, Van Anh controlled a long pass from a teammate well before shooting, but Kyle Colonna managed to get back and deflect the ball, which Bui Tien Dung then cleared off the goal line. In the 42nd minute, Hugo Alves broke down the left flank and crossed, but Ugochukwu stretched but couldn't reach the ball in front of the home team's goal.

The Cong forward Pedro Henrique (left) opened the scoring in the 59th minute in a 2-0 win against Becamex TP HCM in round 3 of the 2025-2026 V-League at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi on 30/8/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The Cong forward Pedro Henrique (left) opened the scoring in the 59th minute in a 2-0 win against Becamex TP HCM in round 3 of the 2025-2026 V-League at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi on 30/8/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The match became more tense when referee Hoang Thanh Binh blew the whistle for halftime. Coach Popov ran to the center of the pitch to complain, arguing it was an unreasonable decision as The Cong were on the counter-attack.

However, the second half saw The Cong take complete control of the game. In the 54th minute, Pedro's left-footed curler went wide of the post. Two minutes later, Lucao capitalized on Adriano Schmidt's mistake to cross, but a defender cleared the ball before Pedro could reach it.

Pedro's individual style was on display again in the 59th minute when he opted for a solo effort instead of passing to Truong Tien Anh, who was in a better position. The 1999-born defender was visibly unhappy. However, just 20 seconds later, Pedro scored with a header. The assist came from Khuat Van Khang, who dribbled down the flank and delivered a perfect cross.

In the 64th minute, as rain began to fall, The Cong doubled their lead. Truong Tien Anh delivered a free-kick from the left, and captain Bui Tien Dung rose high at the near post to head the ball into the net. He celebrated with his signature military salute in the corner of the pitch.

The Cong center-back Bui Tien Dung (center) celebrates his goal to make it 2-0 against Becamex TP HCM in round 3 of the 2025-2026 V-League at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi on 30/8/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The Cong center-back Bui Tien Dung (center) celebrates his goal to make it 2-0 against Becamex TP HCM in round 3 of the 2025-2026 V-League at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi on 30/8/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The best chance for the TP HCM representatives came in the 74th minute following a mistake. Goalkeeper Van Viet's poor clearance inside the box allowed Ismaila to gain possession and pass to Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong, but the 25-year-old forward shot wide of the left post.

With the 2-0 victory, The Cong climbed to third place with seven points and a goal difference of +5, equal to Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) but with fewer goals scored (6 compared to 8). The Cong, CAHN, and league leaders Ninh Binh are also the unbeaten teams in this V-League season.

The V-League will take a break to allow the national team and U23 team to gather for the September FIFA days. The Cong contributed six players: goalkeeper Van Viet, defenders Phan Tuan Tai, and Truong Tien Anh to the national team, and Khuat Van Khang, Dang Tuan Phong, and Cong Phuong to the U23 team.

The V-League will return on 13/9 with two early matches in round 6: CAHN hosting Hai Phong and Nam Dinh visiting Cong An TP HCM. CAHN and Nam Dinh are playing early to participate in Southeast Asian and Asian competitions.

Starting Lineups:

The Cong: Van Viet, Kyle Colonna, Bui Tien Dung, Dinh Viet Tu, Khuat Van Khang, Truong Tien Anh, Phan Tuan Tai, Le Quoc Nhat Nam, Wesley Nata, Pedro Henrique, Lucao Vinicius

Becamex TP HCM: Tran Minh Toan, Ngo Tung Quoc, Adriano Schmidt, Vo Minh Trong, Milos Zlatkovic, Hugo Alves, Le Minh Binh, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa, Cao Quoc Khanh, Van Anh, Ugochukwu.

Hieu Luong