Hanoi FC managed to cruise themselves to a 3-0 away win over Ho Chi Minh City FC in Tuesday’s 2021 V.League 1 Round 5 action, however the Capital Team’s moment in the spotlight was spoiled considerably by the horrific injury suffered by star midfielder Do Hung Dung, who was subjected to a nightmarish tackle from Ngo Hoang Tinh that resulted in the latter being deservedly sent off by the referee.
The match at the Thong Nhat Stadium was evenly poised at 0-0 in the 27th minute when Hung Dung managed to intercept a Ho Chi Minh City clearance. The midfielder paced his way into the Ho Chi Minh City half when Hoang Tinh smashed his way into Hung Dung in an attempt to wrestle the ball off him. Unfortunately for both men, Hoang Tinh had horribly mistimed his tackle and instead of taking the ball off Hung Dung, Hoang Tinh’s boot went straight for Hung Dung’s ankle, effectively breaking the midfielder’s leg.
Realizing what he had done, Hoang Tinh immediately held onto Hung Dung’s ankle to keep his opponent still, fearing further damage should Hung Dung moved too much. Immediately the referee and players from both sides surrounded the two as medical staff rushed their way into the Thong Nhat pitch. Hung Dung was stretchered off to an ambulance as Hoang Tinh shook the midfielder’s hand in apology, before the referee – who had initially held a yellow card to book Hoang Tinh before realizing the damage done to Hung Dung – promptly and deservedly showed Hoang Tinh the red card, sending him to an early shower.
After a lengthy pause brought on by Hung Dung’s treatment, Hanoi were awarded a free-kick from outside the Ho Chi Minh City area. Le Tan Tai swung in the ball into the penalty box, where it was met by a towering header from Do Duy Manh that left Ho Chi Minh City goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Thang utterly beaten. 1-0 Hanoi, however the celebrations were markedly subdued due to Hung Dung’s injury with Duy Manh praying for his teammate’s recovery.
The loss of Hung Dung rallied Hanoi’s spirits and Chu Dinh Nghiem’s men played like there’s no tomorrow, determined to dedicate the three points to their fallen comrade. Captain Nguyen Van Quyet makes it 2-0 after 46 minutes, taking advantage of a Than Thanh Tin mistake to double his side’s lead. Ten minutes later, the three points were sealed for Hanoi after Geovane blasts a header from Van Quyet’s corner past Thanh Thang.
The 3-0 victory helped propel Hanoi to the upper echelons of the V.League 1 table, however their attention would be turned towards the hospital where Hung Dung was being treated. The midfielder underwent surgery on his broken leg almost immediately after arriving and he is projected to be in the sidelines for at least nine months, effectively placing a huge challenge for both Hanoi and the Vietnam national team as Hung Dung is a key player for both sides. Hung Dung will also join a list of Hanoi players unavailable for Dinh Nghiem’s squad for the time being, joining the likes of Nguyen Quang Hai, Tran Dinh Trong, and Doan Van Hau.
As for Hoang Tinh, his foul on Hung Dung was so horrific, the V.League had to refer his case to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF)’s Disciplinary Committee. Normally Hoang Tinh would face a four to eight match ban due to his red card, but a similar case in 2014 saw Song Lam Nghe An’s Tran Dinh Dong being suspended for nine months – spanning 28 matches – due to his challenge that broke the leg of Nguyen Anh Hung, who was playing for Hung Vuong An Giang (now An Giang FC) at that time, with Dinh Dong also being ordered to pay Anh Hung’s medical fees. The severity of Dinh Dong’s case means that Hoang Tinh could suffer a similarly severe penalty.
Round 5’s earlier matches on Tuesday saw SHB Da Nang losing for the second consecutive time, with SLNA managing a 2-1 victory at the Hoa Xuan Stadium. Rafaelson had given Da Nang the lead after 5 minutes, however SLNA had Phan Van Duc to thank as the winger scored a brace to ensure three points for the Vinh-based team. Both Duoc Nam Ha Nam Dinh and Topenland Binh Dinh were also in action on Tuesday, with the latter visiting the former’s Thien Truong Stadium. A 50th minute goal from Oussou Konan was enough for the Knights of Thanh Nam to see off the challenge of the Dark Horses with the 1-0 win.
Wednesday’s Round 5 action sees Becamex Binh Duong welcoming Sai Gon FC to the Go Dau Stadium, Hong Linh Ha Tinh hosting Hai Phong FC at the Ha Tinh Stadium, Than Quang Ninh taking on Dong A Thanh Hoa at the Cam Pha Stadium, and defending champions Viettel FC facing-off against Hoang Anh Gia Lai at the Hang Day Stadium.