Round Three at Thong Nhat
Round three took me back to Thong Nhat Stadium last week to see how HCMC Police fared against HAGL. For me, the real intrigue was less about the football and more about the fanfare following on from the opening day’s near full house.
HCMC Police had followed up their opening-day win over Hanoi with a heavy 3-0 defeat to Viettel, whilst HAGL had managed just a single point and were still searching for their first goal of the season.
Tickets & Crowd
Tickets for the covered main stand were again available online, and at what I’d call a very fair price of 60k — especially compared to HCMC FC, who were charging 100–120k for the same seats last year. In the middle of rainy season I’m not prepared to get soaked with a poor view behind the goal, so the main stand it was.
Official attendance was listed at 6,000 — some 5,000 down on opening day. Still, I’d guess at least half, maybe more, were bussed-in police employees. The main stand was relatively full though. The row to my right had eight uniformed officers in a line. Perhaps the higher-ups get the covered seats, while the juniors are left to the elements — and sure enough, the heavy rain arrived by half-time.
Matchday Atmosphere
Arriving half an hour before kick-off there was a definite buzz outside, with motorbikes jostling for the last parking spots around the ground. I tried a new banh mi stand (25k, mixed filling). Not terrible, but very much a 5/10 — won’t be hurrying back.
Inside, music was blaring pre-match. That might sound standard, but after last year’s silent terraces as fans entered to watch HCMC FC, it’s worth pointing out. This Police iteration are at least trying to inject life into the experience, and there was an energy in the stand that’s been missing.
On the Pitch
The first half wasn’t much to write home about, with both sides lacking any real creativity. HAGL’s best effort came midway through, when Ryan Ha curled a shot that was deflected narrowly wide. From the resulting corner, Police broke clear. Nguyễn Đức Phú raced away from the halfway line, outpacing the flagging HAGL defence, and slipped in Tẩy Văn Toàn. Through on goal against keeper Trần Trung Kiên, he somehow lashed wide. It should’ve been 1-0.
That miss didn’t matter for long. Just before the break, Endrick Dos Santos Parafita tapped home from close range after neat work by Nguyễn Thái Quốc Cường. 1-0.
Frustration & Fight
HAGL tried to establish a foothold but grew increasingly frustrated as the second half wore on. Midfielder Silva Da Silva Marciel was the embodiment of it — berating teammates, flinging his arms up, dropping his head when things didn’t go his way. Defensive workrate? Not great. At times I nteh second half he didn’t even turn to face the play after his side lost the ball. Hard to see him lasting long here.
Their best chance came on 65 minutes, when Da Conceição Dos Santos Gabriel was denied by an immense block from Police defender Matheus Felipe Santos Nascimento. He celebrated it like a goal — and fair play, it was a match-saving challenge.
Full Time
The game had largely fizzled out in tricky wet conditions — until Gabriel had a wonderful chance to level deep into injury time. His half-bicycle effort, though, flew over the bar. Many fans had already departed before the final whistle, but that’s two wins from two at home for this new-look side in Vietnam’s second city.
They still didn’t look great, which may actually be more worrying for HAGL — three games, no goals, and bottom of the table.
Elsewhere, my beloved Hanoi FC slumped to another defeat, 4-2 in the big capital derby against Hanoi Police. Like HAGL, just one point from a possible nine — and yes, that single point also came against HAGL.
Newly promoted Ninh Binh sit top with three straight wins, their latest a 3-1 victory away to Danang. Both Hanoi Police and Viettel also look strong, each on seven points from nine.
Now comes the international break: the senior side will play two hybrid friendlies against CAHN and Nam Dinh, while all eyes shift to the U23s as they chase Asian Cup qualification.
