V.League referees cause controversy by consecutively denying three goals from one team.

Viettel Military is emerging as the unluckiest team in V.League 2025/26 due to a series of denied goals that sparked disputes.

First Incident

In just the last two matches, Coach Velizar Popov's squad has experienced three instances of scoring that were not recognized, with VAR playing a crucial role.

In round 17 at Vinh Stadium, Viettel Military visited SLNA. Despite controlling the game better, the visitors struggled to penetrate the opponent's tight defense. A turning point occurred in the 71st minute when Lucao scored against SLNA with a close-range shot. However, after consulting VAR, the referee determined that Kyle Colonna had pushed Lê Nguyên Hoàng earlier, resulting in the goal being disallowed.

Second Incident

In round 18, when hosting Dong A Thanh Hoa at Hang Day Stadium, a similar scenario repeated, even causing more controversy. In the 7th minute, Wesley Nata headed the ball into the net after a coordinated play. However, the referee did not recognize the goal, determining that Nguyễn Văn Tú had committed a foul by pulling a Thanh Hoa player's jersey beforehand.

Third Incident

Not stopping there, in the 27th minute, Viettel Military once again put the ball into the net. From Phan Tuấn Tài's cross, goalkeeper Y Eli Nie missed the ball and it went straight into the goal. Nevertheless, VAR intervened again and determined that Lucao had pushed the opposing goalkeeper, causing the second goal of the match for the home team to be denied. This was also the third time in just the last two matches that Viettel faced a similar situation.

After two VAR setbacks, Viettel Military did not give up. The home team continued to maintain pressure and was finally rewarded in the 71st minute when Lucao earned a penalty after Trịnh Văn Lợi handled the ball. From the 11-meter spot, Pedro Henrique, despite slipping slightly, successfully scored, securing the only goal of the match.

The final minutes of the match became tense as Coach Popov reacted strongly to the referee's decisions and received a red card, leaving the field. Although the second half had up to 12 minutes of added time, Dong A Thanh Hoa could not find an equalizer, accepting a 0-1 defeat.