In the 5th minute of second half injury time, Thanh Hoa defender Truong Thanh Nam made a strong tackle on Wesley Nata near The Cong's technical area. Referee Nguyen Viet Duan showed a yellow card, but home team members argued it should have been a red card.

Several The Cong players expressed discontent and exchanged words with Thanh Nam. Meanwhile, coach Velizar Popov (in a black shirt) continuously waved his arms, shouting loudly towards referee Duan.

Captain Doan Ngoc Tan and Rimario (number 11) – former players under coach Popov at Thanh Hoa club – approached him to calm him down. Rimario even hugged him and spoke to him, but could not cool the hot temper of the Bulgarian coach.

Following this reaction, referee Duan showed Popov a yellow card. The Cong coach, still upset, rushed onto the field to confront the referee face-to-face. Immediately, Mr. Duan showed a second yellow card, followed by a red card, ejecting Popov from the dugout.

After being restrained, the coach, born in 1976, snatched the coach's card and threw it forcefully towards the technical area. He remained seated and only moved to the changing room after being reminded a second time by the head referee.

Earlier, in the 90th minute, Truong Thanh Nam committed a foul outside the penalty area, preventing Wesley Nata from having a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. Coach Popov also protested strongly, believing the Thanh Hoa player deserved a red card.

After consulting video assistant referee (VAR) and reviewing the footage, referee Duan determined that before the ball reached Nata, Nham Manh Dung had fouled Trinh Van Loi. Therefore, Thanh Nam avoided punishment. The head referee also directly discussed his decision with captain Phan Tuan Tai and coach Popov.

Besides these two incidents, coach Popov also protested referee decisions multiple times during the match. Another notable incident occurred in the 75th minute, when Wesley Nata bled from his mouth after a collision with Abdurakhmanov. Slow-motion video showed the Thanh Hoa midfielder's arm swinging into Wesley's face as he ran. However, referee Duan did not call a foul, deeming it unintentional.

The red card will result in coach Velizar Popov being suspended for at least one additional match, but the penalty could increase if the V-League Organizing Committee requests the Disciplinary Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to intervene.

Previously, coach Popov was not penalized after calling referee Le Vu Linh a "professional killer" in a press conference following The Cong's 1-1 draw against SLNA in round 17 of the V-League at Vinh Stadium. Subsequently, The Cong sent an official letter to Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) and VFF, proposing that coach Popov not participate in post-match press conferences for the remainder of the season. However, the managing and operating bodies of the league rejected this proposal as it was not included in the regulations.

The on-field referee team and VAR also worked extensively tonight. In the 7th minute, Wesley Nata headed into the net after a chipped pass from Lucao on the right flank. However, the referee determined that Nguyen Van Tu had fouled Doan Ngoc Ha by pulling him, before creating the opportunity for Lucao.

In the 27th minute, goalkeeper Y Eli Nie mishandled, allowing the ball to bounce into the net. But the referee determined that Lucao had pushed a player from behind. Slow-motion video of both situations confirmed the referee's decisions.

However, coach Popov maintained his familiar image, spreading his arms and shouting from the sidelines. After the incident in the 27th minute, he also looked towards the television camera, pointed, and squeezed his neck with his hand, seemingly suggesting that Lucao had also been fouled.

The match's only goal was scored in the 70th minute by Pedro Henrique from a penalty kick. The Cong was awarded the penalty after Trinh Van Loi handled the ball in the box.

This marks The Cong's fourth consecutive 1-0 victory at Hang Day Stadium. They also extended their unbeaten run to six matches, with five wins. Their second-place position was solidified with 38 points, six points behind league leaders Cong an Ha Noi, who have played one less match.

Hieu Luong