Dinh Bac repeatedly fouled, Cong An Ha Noi beat Dong Nai 3-0

On the evening of September 20, at Dong Nai Stadium, Cong An Ha Noi secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Dong Nai FC in round 3 of the 2026-2027 V-League. But the three points were not what made this match the center of attention for experts and fans. What remained after the final whistle was a violent foul in the 78th minute, an image many described as a "career-ending tackle" in a match that had long been decided. The controversial situation occurred when Cong An Ha Noi was already leading 3-0. Nguyen Dinh Bac, the 22-year-old striker of the away team, received the ball in the middle of the field. From behind, Huynh Tan Sinh, a defender for Dong Nai FC, closed in and repeatedly kicked at Dinh Bac's standing leg. The challenge was not aimed at the ball, with no attempt to play it, causing the away striker to lose his balance and fall to the ground in pain. The main referee blew his whistle and showed Huynh Tan Sinh a yellow card. This decision immediately sparked outrage among fans. On football forums, many supporters argued the situation deserved a straight red card due to its violent and unsportsmanlike nature. One fan wrote: "Tan Sinh! We are colleagues, why are you so cruel! You must respect a colleague's legs." Another comment expressed: "This situation is too ugly, unacceptable. This is deliberately trying to injure an opponent." Many comments even called for a heavy penalty, believing the action was reckless and highly dangerous. To better understand the context of the match, we need to look back at earlier events. As early as the 16th minute, Dong Nai FC fell into a disadvantage when Van Son received a red card and left the field after a punch on Dinh Bac himself. Playing with a numerical advantage for the remaining 74 minutes, Cong An Ha Noi easily controlled the game and secured a comprehensive 3-0 victory. However, the incident in the 78th minute served as a measure of a larger problem: the line between determination and violence in Vietnamese football. Looking back at Huynh Tan Sinh's career, this player born in 2026 was a member of the U20 and U23 Vietnam teams and was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 2026 SEA Games. He has won the V-League with Ha Noi FC, Cong An Ha Noi, and Quang Nam. Tan Sinh is known for his passionate style of play, always ready for contact, but this style has also caused him to suffer frequent injuries and decline in form in recent years. However, it is thought-provoking that a player with such extensive experience would show such a lack of restraint in a dead-ball situation. Football is a contact sport, but the line between tenacity and violence is always very thin. In the world's leading professional leagues, challenges like this are usually dealt with very severely, and may even be subject to retrospective punishment after video review. With the development of VAR technology and monitoring systems, there is no reason to overlook such unsportsmanlike incidents. Without sufficient sanctions, this behavior will continue, endangering player safety and damaging the league's image. The question is whether the V-League organizers will investigate and impose additional punishment on Huynh Tan Sinh. A clearly violent foul like this, if it only results in a yellow card, will set a bad precedent for the following rounds. Players need to be protected, and actions that deliberately endanger opponents must be dealt with strictly, not only based on the referee's on-field judgment but also based on video evidence and the federation's disciplinary regulations. After the match, Dong Nai FC made no official statement about the incident. But public opinion is waiting for a move from the organizers. With violent images appearing more and more frequently in V-League matches, it is time to take stronger measures to protect players and preserve the beautiful image of our national football.