Hanoi FC have managed to win the double this season after winning the 2022 Vietnamese National Cup, beating Topenland Binh Dinh 2-0 at the Hang Day Stadium in Sunday’s final. Two long-ranged screamers from Doan Van Hau and Truong Van Thai Quy sealed Hanoi’s third Vietnamese National Cup title, moving them as the competition’s joint-most successful team alongside Becamex Binh Duong and Song Lam Nghe An.
Having won the 2022 V.League 1 title earlier this month, Hanoi were looking to win their third consecutive Vietnamese National Cup title and complete the double, seeing off Hoang Anh Gia Lai 2-0 in the semifinal to set up a meeting with Binh Dinh, who crushed Dong A Thanh Hoa 4-0 in their own semifinal to qualify for this season’s cup showpiece match.
Binh Dinh, who finished third in the league, battered Hanoi 3-0 on the back of a Rafaelson hat-trick in the last encounter between these teams back in September and with that in mind Hanoi started things off cautiously, trying their best to soak up as many pressure as they could from Binh Dinh before hitting them on the counter.
Van Hau gave Hanoi the lead in the 48th minute, beating Dang Van Lam in the Binh Dinh goal with a stunning shot from 35 meters out.
With Binh Dinh already squandering two golden chances to open the scoring back in the first half, Van Hau’s screamer came as a sucker punch that knocked the daylights out of the Dark Horses. As a result, Hanoi began to grow their presence in the game, going forward as they seek to kill off the game as soon as possible.
Hanoi’s clincher didn’t came until the 81st minute, and it was even more spectacular from the first. Noticing that Van Lam was way off his line, Thai Quy blasted a shot from 70 meters out that went beyond the former Muangthong United goalkeeper and into the net, sealing the Vietnamese National Cup title for Hanoi.
With Hanoi already qualified to the 2023/24 AFC Champions League group stage as league winners, the slot in the play-offs designated for the cup winners was transferred to league runners-up Hai Phong FC. Should the Red Tide lose their play-off match, they will enter the 2023/24 AFC Cup group stage, but should Hai Phong advance to the Champions League group stage, their AFC Cup spot will be transferred to Binh Dinh.