When Malaysian referee Usaid Bin Jamal blew the final whistle, Polking burst into tears. With reddened eyes, he stroked his beard as usual, then shook hands and embraced each member of the CAHN technical staff, including club president Duong Duc Hai. After 12 years of coaching, the Brazilian finally secured his first club title.

"Those were tears of joy, not sadness. This title is important to me and the whole team," Polking said after lifting the cup with CAHN at Vinh Stadium. "When you're overjoyed, emotions overflow. This is a special moment in my coaching career."

Coach Polking (center) celebrates with coaching staff members as Cong An Ha Noi defeats Song Lam Nghe An 5-0 in the 2024-2025 National Cup final at Vinh Stadium, Nghe An on 29/6/2025. Photo: Xuan Hoang

During the celebration, Polking was playfully ambushed by the Brazilian players, who dumped a cooler of ice water on him as he headed towards the stands to thank the CAHN fans.

Polking's joy contrasted sharply with his devastated look on the night of 21/5 in Thailand. On that day, he and CAHN led Buriram United 2-1 until the eighth minute of stoppage time in the second half, only to concede a late equalizer. After a 3-3 draw in extra time, they lost 2-3 on penalties in the Southeast Asian Club Cup final.

Polking's first coaching role was with Army United in 2013. He then worked at Suphanburi (2014), Bangkok United (2014-2020), Ho Chi Minh City FC (2021), and CAHN (2024-present). Despite winning two ASEAN Cup titles with the Thailand national team in 2021 and 2022, a club title had eluded him.

Before joining CAHN, Polking had finished as runner-up three times with Bangkok United: in Thai League 1 in 2016 and 2018, and in the Thai FA Cup in 2017. In the FA Cup final, Bangkok United twice led Chiangrai United, but were pegged back to 2-2 and eventually lost 4-2 on penalties, a game that saw three of Polking's players sent off.

In their National Cup campaign, CAHN defeated Ha Tinh 2-1 in the round of 16, then beat Hai Phong and The Cong 3-1 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Despite playing away at SLNA in the final, CAHN demonstrated their superior quality. Goals from Nguyen Quang Hai, Leonardo Artur, and a hat-trick from Alan Sebastiao resulted in a 5-0 victory, replicating the largest winning margin in a National Cup final. Twenty years prior, Long An also defeated Hai Phong 5-0 to lift the trophy.

"SLNA is a fighting team, but we played a perfect game. Winning 5-0 in a final is never easy," Polking stated. "The players believed in my philosophy. The best thing for any coach is to have players who trust you and give their all to the tactics."

The 1976-born coach took charge of CAHN in 1/2024, finishing 6th in the 2023-2024 V-League. This season, the team competed on three fronts, finishing third in V-League, runner-up in the Southeast Asian Club Cup, and now National Cup champions.

This title qualifies CAHN for five competitions next season, the same as V-League champions Nam Dinh. They will compete in the National Super Cup against Nam Dinh, continue in V-League and the National Cup, return to the Southeast Asian Club Cup, and participate in Asia's second-tier club competition, the AFC Champions League Two.

"This season has been something to be proud of, but it's not our limit," Polking affirmed. "We will compete for the V-League title and strive to go far in international competitions."

Hieu Luong