The Cong Viettel Open ACL2 Campaign with a draw against Melbourne Victory
Against highly rated Australian side Melbourne Victory, The Cong Viettel produced an impressive performance to earn a 1-1 draw in their opening match of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two (ACL2).
28/09/2026 10:34:24The Cong Viettel are in Group E alongside Melbourne Victory, Seoul (South Korea) and Persib Bandung (Indonesia). In their opening match, the V.League representatives enjoyed home advantage at Hang Day Stadium and made a confident start against Melbourne Victory, taking the initiative to attack from the opening whistle.
After a goalless first half, Melbourne Victory took a surprise lead in the 59th minute. Clarismario used his pace and strength to get past Paulinho before finishing calmly to put the visitors 1-0 ahead.
However, just three minutes later, The Cong Viettel restored parity. Ribamar found the back of the net to make it 1-1 and was subsequently named Player of the Match.
Both sides created a number of further chances in the remaining minutes, but neither could find a winning goal.
Speaking after the match, head coach Popov expressed his pride in his players’ performance: “I am very proud of all the players. Today, they gave everything they had on the pitch, from a tactical, technical and psychological perspective. With a little more luck, we could have won this match. We created many goalscoring opportunities, but in football, luck is a factor that cannot be controlled.”
Regarding Phan Tuan Tai’s frequent use of crosses, Popov explained that this is part of the team’s tactical approach, particularly given that The Cong Viettel have two physically strong forwards who are good in the air. He added that crossing is also one of the effective attacking options in modern football.
Assessing the Group E situation after the opening round of matches, Popov said the draw had made the race more complicated, while predicting a difficult away trip to Persib Bandung in Indonesia. Nevertheless, The Cong Viettel will focus on each match and enjoy their journey in continental competition.
The Cong Viettel starting XI: Van Viet, Trung Hieu, Colonna, Paulinho, Lucas, Viet Tu, Damian Vu Thanh An, Trieu Viet Hung, Tuan Tai, Andre Luiz, Rimario.
