In the 25th minute, with the score at 1-1, Phan Tuan Tai delivered a pass behind the SLNA defense, allowing Lucao Vinicius to run into the penalty area and score. However, assistant referee Doan Quoc Huy raised his flag for offside.

Head referee Nguyen Viet Duan, after consulting with the VAR team, including Mai Xuan Hung and Bui Trung Dung, also signaled offside. However, slow-motion replays suggested Lucao was still onside, positioned above SLNA's last defender, number 2 Vuong Van Huy.

The situation where The Cong striker Lucao Vinicius had a goal disallowed for offside in the 1-4 loss to SLNA in round 13 of V-League 2025-2026, at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi on 8/2.

In the 36th minute, Vuong Van Huy again collided with Lucao from behind during an aerial challenge. Earlier, the home team had combined on the left wing, with Nham Manh Dung chipping the ball into the center of the penalty area for Lucao. The Cong appealed for a penalty. Referee Viet Duan listened to VAR for about one minute before allowing play to continue.

The situation where SLNA defender Vuong Van Huy collided with Lucao Vinicius in an aerial challenge.

Coach Velizar Popov was banned from the sidelines for this match after accumulating three yellow cards. Assistant coach Nguyen Van Bien was in charge and expressed frustration at the post-match press conference. "The referee reviewed VAR for Lucao's offside situation, but the opposing defender was actually two meters behind. We don't understand," Bien stated, then immediately left the press conference after only the first question.

The former Vietnam national player continued to voice his frustration on his personal Facebook page. "I truly doubt the professionalism of the referee team in today's match (one goal, one penalty)," Bien wrote.

In the second half, The Cong conceded three more goals. Michael Olaha scored a brace from the penalty spot in the 55th minute and during first-half stoppage time. The referee's penalty calls in both instances were justified. First, Kyle Colonna pulled Reon Moore's shirt, then Dinh Viet Tu tripped Olaha in the penalty area. The remaining goal came from Moore after a rapid counter-attack in the 84th minute.

The Cong also played with one more player from the 68th minute when Vuong Van Huy received a direct red card. The SLNA defender fouled Pedro Henrique from behind near the penalty area, preventing the striker from having a scoring opportunity against goalkeeper Cao Van Binh. However, the home team failed to capitalize.

This was The Cong's heaviest defeat against SLNA since returning to the V-League in 2019. In the first leg that year, the team lost 1-3 to SLNA, a record surpassed this evening.

The defeat did not cause The Cong to lose their third position. They have 22 points, still trailing Ninh Binh by 5 points and Cong an Ha Noi (CAHN) by 7 points. However, The Cong has played one less match than Ninh Binh and two more matches than CAHN.

Meanwhile, this third victory provided SLNA with an advantage in the relegation battle. Coach Van Sy Son's team has 13 points, placing them 9th and 6 points above bottom-placed Da Nang, despite having played one more match.

Referee Nguyen Viet Duan (in blue) officiated The Cong's 1-4 loss to SLNA. *Photo: Hoang Huynh*

According to VnExpress sources, The Cong will send a letter to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the V-League organizing committee, the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), requesting a review of the refereeing in their loss to SLNA in round 13.

Since the beginning of the 2025-2026 season, V-League referees have made few errors that have caused team dissatisfaction. The most notable incident occurred when Ninh Binh coach Albadalejo accused the referee of biased officiating in their 2-3 loss to Cong an Ha Noi in round 12. However, Malaysian referee Razlan Joffri was deemed to have performed his duties competently, and Albadalejo was banned for two matches due to excessive statements that negatively impacted the league's image.

Hieu Luong