Viettel FC booked themselves a spot in the 2023 Vietnamese National Cup quarterfinal after edging out city rivals and defending cup champions Hanoi FC 2-1 in Thursday’s round of 16 match.
The Capital Derby between Hanoi and Viettel has always provided some drama and excitement and Thursday’s action was no different. Both teams went straight for each other’s throats and created a number of chances straight from kick-off, however it was the Red Tornado of Viettel who made theirs count.
A superb pass from Bui Duy Thuong was well-received by Nguyen Hoang Duc, who executed a fine finish past Hanoi goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong.
The defending champions responded to this setback with a 31st minute equalizer. A well-struck finish by Pham Tuan Hai restored parity and gave Hanoi a fighting chance to turn things around and maintain their title defense.
Unfortunately for the Capital Team, Viettel struck the deathblow in the 77th minute through Jeferson Elias, sending the Red Tornado through into the quarters and ending Hanoi’s four-year reign as defending cup champions.
Thursday’s other round of 16 matches saw Topenland Binh Dinh sealing a spot in the quarterfinals after edging out second-tier side Quang Nam FC on penalties, while Dong A Thanh Hoa thrashed another second-tier outfit in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, with Velizar Popov’s men running out 4-0 winners. Last but not least a third V.League 2 side was sent packing from the competition, with Hong Linh Ha Tinh beating Long An FC 3-1.
Viettel, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh will be joining Phu Dong FC in the quarterfinals, with the second-tier side having sealed their spot in the next round as early as March due to the dissolution of their round of 16 opponents Saigon FC.