On the evening of 19/10, at Go Dau stadium, host CA TP HCM defeated The Cong one-nil thanks to a goal from naturalized forward Olaha Manh Duc. However, the match saw numerous interruptions due to frequent VAR interventions.

In the 80th minute, CA TP HCM player Nguyen Duc Phu missed a clearance, striking midfielder Tran Danh Trung's leg. Referee Tran Ngoc Nho, with a clear view, immediately issued a yellow card to the home team's defender. However, VAR intervened, prompting the referee to review the incident on the sideline screen for an extended period. After the review, referee Nho returned to the field, rescinded the yellow card, and instead issued a red card to Nguyen Duc Phu.

But VAR intervened, causing the head referee to once again go to the screen for a long review. Afterward, Mr. Nho returned to the field, rescinded the yellow card, and issued a red card to Nguyen Duc Phu.

When asked about the referee's decision in this situation after the match, CA TP HCM coach Arthur Diles stated he did not clearly see his player's foul. "But I think it was the correct decision after the referee consulted VAR," he remarked.

Another contentious moment came in the 90+7 minute. CA TP HCM defender Hoang Phuc tackled Lucas Ribamar, causing him to fall inside the penalty area. Referee Nho promptly pointed to the penalty spot for the away team. Yet again, he received a signal from VAR and proceeded to repeatedly review the situation on the monitor. After a few minutes, he reversed his decision, awarding a goal kick to the home team instead.

Earlier in the match, in the 33rd minute, The Cong defender Nguyen Duc Hoang Minh stepped on the heel of CA TP HCM forward Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong. Referee Tran Ngoc Nho initially did not penalize the away team's defender. However, after receiving a signal from VAR, he went to the sideline to review the footage multiple times before returning to issue a yellow card.

In the 90+3 minute, The Cong player Luong Chi Khai's shot deflected off the hand of central defender Dinh Quang Kiet, changing its direction. Referee Nho did not blow his whistle, but The Cong players protested. VAR again intervened, halting the match to check for a penalty. This time, however, referee Nho did not go to the screen but decided against a penalty after consulting VAR via his headset.

Furthermore, when the home team scored the opening goal in the 68th minute, VAR also took time to draw lines to check if forward Williams Minh Hoang was offside. The review confirmed that the overseas Vietnamese player was clearly onside, positioned well above The Cong's defender.

Asked about the referee's decisions, The Cong coach Popov declined to comment, stating he did not want to waste energy on such matters. "This is not the first time," he added. "I don't understand why you ask me this question? If I say what I think, I will be fined. I cannot control that. As I said, this is neither the first nor the last time."

Quang Dung