Dong A Thanh Hoa have won their first Vietnamese National Cup title after beating Viettel FC on penalties in the 2023 final on Sunday night at the Thanh Hoa Stadium.
Both teams – assured to finish in the top half of the 2023 V.League 1 table – came to Sunday’s final through contrasting routes.
Thanh Hoa had the luck of the draw by their side as they drew lower level opposition throughout all of their cup matches. The Lam Son Warriors took out Ba Ria-Vung Tau in the round of 16, before eliminating Phu Dong FC in the quarterfinals, which set up the stage for Thanh Hoa to knock out giant-killers PVF-CAND in the semifinals.
Viettel, on the other hand, had a much tougher route to the showpiece match.
Starting off from the qualifying rounds, Viettel smashed V.League 2 side Binh Phuoc FC 6-0, before the Red Tornado were drawn against city rivals and defending cup champions Hanoi FC in the round of 16.
Viettel were unfazed by this huge challenge and managed to book their spot in the quarters after edging out Hanoi 2-1, where Thep Xanh Nam Dinh awaited them. The Red Tornado easily swept aside the Knights of Thanh Nam, before Topenland Binh Dinh were eliminated in the semifinal.
Despite coming into the final match as favorites, Viettel were clearly affected by the absences of key men Jefferson Elias and Tran Manh Cuong, who were both suspended. This played into Thanh Hoa’s hands, who not only had the home advantage but were also given the privilege of fielding their strongest lineup.
The final itself was a pragmatic encounter. Both teams carved out few chances and those that came were all squandered. Throughout 120 minutes neither team were able to find a breakthrough, forcing the match to be settled on penalties.
In the end, it was Viettel’s Bui Tien Dung who missed the decisive penalty for his side, setting the stage for former Hanoi and Persib Bandung man Bruno Cantanhede to seal Thanh Hoa’s first ever Vietnamese National Cup title with his winning spot kick.
It is unclear on whether Thanh Hoa will qualify for AFC competitions this season with this triumph, as a change in the Vietnamese football pyramid calendar meant that the 2023 league champions won’t qualify for the next season’s AFC competitions, with the winners of the upcoming 2o23/24 season taking their place instead.