'Rain' of goals in the National Cup treats fans

As many as 11 goals were netted in the two National Cup semi-finals. The "goal rain" treated fans to a hearty meal at Thien Truong and Ninh Binh.

1. The professional gap between the four teams in the two semi-finals is no longer as wide as before. From The Cong Viettel, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, and Cong An TP.HCM, all have outstanding players that make the matches more appealing to both fans and experts. Winning decisively against Nam Dinh and The Cong Viettel, Ninh Binh and Cong An TP.HCM will meet in the final this Sunday afternoon.

Ninh Binh entered the match with immense confidence following an impressive run of form. In contrast, The Cong Viettel under coach Velizar Popov maintained their gritty identity. However, this pragmatism sometimes caused their attack to lack the necessary spark at crucial moments.

Given the knockout nature of the match, caution was at its highest level. Everyone wanted to secure a spot in the final, leading both Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel to start cautiously. In the first 15 minutes, the game progressed relatively slowly.

After that, The Cong Viettel accelerated and created more notable attacking opportunities. However, it was Ninh Binh that scored the opening goal. Capitalizing on a defensive mistake by the visitors, Fred Friday set up Gia Hung for a finish, putting Ninh Binh ahead 1-0.

After the opening goal, the match became more open as The Cong Viettel pushed forward in search of an equalizer. At this point, Ninh Binh demonstrated their sharpness on the counterattack. Striker Fred Friday shone in the first half, completing a double assist in the 42nd minute. Ninh Binh's 2-0 goal followed a similar script to the opener: Friday exploited the visitors' defensive disarray to set up Hoang Duc, doubling the lead against The Cong Viettel.

In the second half, The Cong Viettel pulled one back through Lucao from the penalty spot, but Ninh Binh added two more goals from Bao Toan and Friday to end the match with a 4-1 victory.

2. Losing 2-4 to Cong An TP.HCM, Nam Dinh concluded the 2025/26 season empty-handed. Meanwhile, with a "know yourself and know your opponent" style of play, coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team deservedly and convincingly earned a place in the final.

The semi-final between Nam Dinh and Cong An TP.HCM at Thien Truong Stadium was predicted to favor the visitors, as Nam Dinh was in a slump. However, few imagined the home team would suffer such a heavy defeat. In reality, this result was not surprising, as throughout this season in all competitions, Nam Dinh has failed to maintain the image of a champion.

From being the V-League champion for two consecutive seasons, Nam Dinh declined sharply, finishing 6th in the 2025/26 V-League. The ambitious season for the team from Nam Dinh ended with much disappointment in both domestic and international tournaments.

Therefore, the National Cup semi-final was seen as their last chance to salvage a turbulent season. The visiting team, Cong An TP.HCM, played with great spirit. The reality on the pitch at Thien Truong showed that it was Cong An TP.HCM, not the hosts Nam Dinh, who demonstrated the greater desire.

Nam Dinh's noticeable decline came as a major shock to their fans. Even the return of key striker Nguyen Xuan Son was not enough to help the team create a breakthrough in the final stages of the season. Despite winning the top scorer award in the ASEAN Club Cup with 7 goals, the 2025/26 season has not lived up to expectations for Nguyen Xuan Son personally. The striker finished the V-League with only 6 goals, a figure not commensurate with his class and reputation.