Dinh Trong suffers head injury in V-League opener

Defender Tran Dinh Trong suffered a head injury as Cong An Ha Noi drew 1-1 with The Cong in the opening round of the 2025-2026 V-League, on the evening of 15/8.

Dinh Trong's bleeding was stopped, and his head was bandaged. He had to leave the pitch for about a minute before returning to play. (Author/Source)

In the 68th minute, Dinh Trong again sat down on the pitch as his wound started bleeding again. In addition to the CAHN medical team, captain Nguyen Quang Hai also helped clean the blood for his teammate. The two have been longtime friends since their youth team days. (Author/Source)

In the 63rd minute at Hang Day stadium, Truong Tien Anh crossed the ball into the CAHN penalty area for Lucao to challenge in the air. The Brazilian forward made contact with the ball and then clashed heads with Tran Dinh Trong, who was also jumping. Both players fell to the ground grimacing. Medical staff were immediately called onto the pitch.

As the game progressed, CAHN sharpened their attack and created numerous scoring opportunities. Between the 25th and 28th minutes, captain Quang Hai missed two chances. The first was a one-on-one with goalkeeper Pham Van Phong, followed by a signature curled shot from inside the box. (Author/Source)

Dinh Trong's bleeding was stopped, and his head was bandaged. He had to leave the pitch for about a minute before returning to play. (Author/Source)

Quang Hai expressed his frustration. In the distance, the provider of the assist, Leonardo Artur, also held his head in disappointment. (Author/Source)

In the 41st minute, it was Leonardo's turn to miss a chance after chipping the ball over goalkeeper Van Phong, but the shot went wide. (Author/Source)

Two minutes later, coach Mano Polking decided to substitute Dinh Trong, bringing on Hugo Gomes as his replacement. In the post-match press conference, the CAHN coach said he would need to wait for further examination the next day to determine the extent of Dinh Trong's injury. CAHN also had to substitute left-back Cao Quang Vinh Pendant in the early second half due to injury.

Since the 2024-2025 National Super Cup match against Nam Dinh, which CAHN won 3-2, Dinh Trong has been playing at right-back under coach Polking. This was a surprising, yet necessary, move due to Vu Van Thanh's ongoing injury recovery and Viet Kieu Brandon Ly's need for more time to integrate into the team.

Dinh Trong is a talented Vietnamese center-back from the U23 Thuong Chau generation, who won the 2018 ASEAN Cup (formerly AFF Cup). He has since suffered from persistent injuries, the most severe being a ruptured knee ligament. It wasn't until the 2023-2024 season that Trong gradually returned to regular play for CAHN. At his peak, he was nicknamed the "foreign player hunter" for his clever playing style.

The opening match of the 2025-2026 V-League was fast-paced and intense. The match saw newcomer Lucao Vinicius open the scoring for The Cong in the third minute with a header inside the box.

In the 22nd minute, Dinh Trong delivered a low cross from the right wing for Alan Sebastiao to score with a one-touch right-footed finish, equalizing for CAHN.

The opening match of the V-League was highly competitive and intense. In this instance, in the 68th minute, Quang Hai was tightly marking Viet Kieu center-back Kyle Colonna, but was strongly pushed in the chest. (Author/Source)

Quang Hai expressed his frustration. In the distance, the provider of the assist, Leonardo Artur, also held his head in disappointment. (Author/Source)

In the 41st minute, it was Leonardo's turn to miss a chance after chipping the ball over goalkeeper Van Phong, but the shot went wide. (Author/Source)

In the second half, the number of chances decreased significantly as both teams played more cautiously. Coaches Velizar Popov and Polking constantly stood near the sidelines, giving instructions. While both coaches showed their familiar passion, it wasn't enough to secure a win for either side.

"The first round is always difficult for any team, as they haven't yet reached 100% fitness," coach Popov said in the post-match press conference. "Teams need about two to three rounds to adapt. Currently, everyone feels the strain after the pre-season preparations. However, I am satisfied with the result we achieved today."

Meanwhile, coach Polking said: "The result is very disappointing. I thought we could win this match. However, the team maintained its usual playing style. We cannot rest and must start working tomorrow, in a season packed with matches."