Coach Popov unexpectedly names the best goalkeeper in Vietnam

Coach Popov was pleased with the display of The Cong Viettel players following the draw with Ninh Binh, and he especially commended goalkeeper Van Viet.

In the intense match at Ninh Binh stadium on the evening of October 2, The Cong Viettel club achieved a remarkable 1-1 draw against the home team despite playing with one less player from the first half. Specifically, in the 34th minute, captain Bui Tien Dung received the first red card of his career after pulling down Gustavo. Duc Chien then scored the opening goal for Ninh Binh in the first half from a penalty. In the 69th minute, Dinh Xuan Tien equalized for the soldiers’ team, sealing the final score.

At the post-match press conference, Coach Velizar Popov expressed his satisfaction with his players' performance:“I am proud of my players. In terms of fitness, tactics, and spirit, they all performed excellently. I only ask them to continue playing as they did. After the red card, the team's reaction was superb. We played well and deserved the equalizer near the end of the first half from the penalty.”

“After this match, I still believe my team has the best defense. Van Viet is the best goalkeeper in Vietnam, without a doubt. That is why the national team head coach called him up, and he is very likely to become number one,”the Bulgarian strategist gave special praise to goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet.

When asked about midfielder Duc Chien – a former The Cong Viettel player who scored in the match, Mr. Popov said: “I only want to talk about my team and players. I think it would be disrespectful to comment on the opponent. We still have many aspects of our gameplay to improve. This is just the beginning. The whole team needs to progress further, and I am confident we will perform better.”

With this result, Ninh Binh remains top of the standings with 14 points while The Cong Viettel sits in fourth place with 12 points.

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