On 14/9, Hanoi FC lost 1-0 to The Cong and was eliminated from the first round of the National Cup. This defeat led to the dismissal of coach Makoto Teguramori and a series of changes in the club's management positions. Technical director Yusuke Adachi was appointed as interim coach while the club searches for a permanent replacement.

The Japanese expert's first match was a rematch against The Cong in round 4 at Hang Day stadium. The team made only one change compared to the National Cup: Pham Xuan Manh replaced Tran Van Thang at right-back.

Hanoi FC (purple) drew 1-1 with The Cong in round 4 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, on 20/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

Hanoi FC (purple) drew 1-1 with The Cong in round 4 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, on 20/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

Just like a week prior, Hanoi FC started strongly and created the first dangerous opportunity. In the 10th minute, Fernando bypassed Phan Tuan Tai on the right wing and shot, the ball deflecting off a defender. The ball landed perfectly for Van Quyet to volley from just outside the six-yard box, but Van Viet blocked it with his foot.

The match then saw several aggressive plays, resulting in two yellow cards for The Cong. However, both sides lacked sharp attacks.

The breakthrough came in the 36th minute from Nguyen Van Quyet. The Hanoi captain chipped the ball over Khuat Van Khang in midfield, then accelerated forward. He slid a pass to Pham Tuan Hai, who ran into the penalty area and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Van Viet to open the scoring.

In the final 10 minutes, including stoppage time, Hanoi missed three opportunities. In the 40th minute, Hai Long dribbled down the right wing, cut inside past Tuan Tai, and passed to Tuan Hai. The striker, born in 1998, instead of passing to Fernando, tried to cut inside and shoot but was blocked. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, from the right byline, Van Quyet back-heeled the ball to Hai Long, whose left-footed shot sailed over the bar. A minute later, Hanoi exchanged 10 passes on the right wing before Van Quyet switched the play to the opposite side. Tuan Hai had plenty of space but shot wide of the near post.

Hanoi FC striker Pham Tuan Hai (purple) scored in the 36th minute of the 1-1 draw with The Cong in round 4 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, on 20/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

Hanoi FC striker Pham Tuan Hai (purple) scored in the 36th minute of the 1-1 draw with The Cong in round 4 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, on 20/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

In the second half, coach Adachi substituted Van Quyet for Nguyen Van Truong. Hanoi continued to create chances but lacked Van Quyet's composure and were also frustrated by goalkeeper Van Viet's excellent performance.

In the 48th minute, Hung Dung slid a pass into the penalty area towards the right. Tuan Hai provided a convenient cross, but Fernando's close-range shot was saved by a diving Van Viet. In the 59th minute, Hai Long dribbled past both Bui Tien Dung and Tien Anh but couldn't beat the Nghe An goalkeeper from a tight angle. The same happened with Fernando in the 67th minute.

Meanwhile, The Cong needed only one clear opportunity to score in the 54th minute. Van Khang dribbled through the center, exchanged passes with Lucao and Dinh Xuan Tien before receiving the ball in the penalty area. The midfielder, born in 2003, placed a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner, beating Van Hoang.

The Cong midfielder Khuat Van Khang scored in the 54th minute of the 1-1 draw with Hanoi FC in round 4 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, on 20/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The Cong midfielder Khuat Van Khang scored in the 54th minute of the 1-1 draw with Hanoi FC in round 4 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, on 20/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

In the final 20 minutes, Hanoi brought on Le Van Xuan, Pierre Lamothe, and Daniel Passira to replace Fernando, Hai Long, and Hung Dung. They had opportunities but couldn't overcome their haste.

In the 75th minute, Passira's volley from inside the penalty area sailed over the bar, displeasing Pham Tuan Hai, who was unmarked in front of goal. Five minutes later, the Brazilian forward capitalized on Tien Dung's mistake, went past him, and chipped the ball over Van Viet's head, but it went wide. In the 85th minute, Van Truong was unmarked in the penalty area but volleyed immediately instead of controlling the ball, wasting the opportunity.

There were no further surprises in the four minutes of added time, and the two teams shared the points. Hanoi is now winless in five consecutive matches since the start of the season, with two draws in V-League, placing them 11th. Meanwhile, The Cong is third with eight points.

Two earlier round 4 matches ended with the same 2-2 scoreline. At home, Thanh Hoa was led 2-0 by Hai Phong but came back to draw 2-2. Coach Choi Won-kwon's team ended their three-match losing streak. In the other match in Hung Yen, Da Nang twice took the lead but were pegged back by the home team PVF-CAND.

Starting Lineups:

Hanoi FC: Van Hoang, Do Duy Manh, Thanh Chung, Cong Nhat, Pham Xuan Manh, Do Hung Dung, Hai Long, Maranhao, Van Quyet, Pham Tuan Hai, Fernando

The Cong: Van Viet, Kyle Colonna, Bui Tien Dung, Phan Tuan Tai, Dinh Viet Tu, Truong Tien Anh, Khuat Van Khang, Wesley Nata, Huu Thang, Pedro Henrique, Lucao Vinicius.

Hieu Luong