Coach Harry Kewell praises the newly naturalized Brazilian player in Vietnam

Midfielder Đỗ Hoàng Hên earned praise from the newly appointed coach Harry Kewell following his first appearance for Hanoi FC.

Hanoi hosted Ninh Binh in the 7th round of the V-League with many special factors. This match marked the official debut of new head coach Harry Kewell for the capital’s team, as well as the first game for Đỗ Hoàng Hên. The midfielder, originally from Brazil, recently obtained Vietnamese citizenship and officially became eligible to play for Hanoi FC.

However, this was not a joyful debut day for both coach and player. Despite Hanoi’s dominance and numerous dangerous chances, they ultimately lost 1-2. Meanwhile, Đỗ Hoàng Hên performed adequately but without standout moments and was substituted off in the 65th minute due to fitness concerns.

Nevertheless, after the match, coach Harry Kewell still praised Đỗ Hoàng Hên: "This was his first game after a long period on the sidelines. Therefore, we have to be more cautious about Đỗ Hoàng Hên’s physical condition. However, he is a wonderful player and can only improve from here. I see this as something to look forward to; it’s tough to play a full 90 minutes, but he will definitely get fitter soon."

Despite the 1-2 loss, Hanoi FC showed many positive signs in Harry Kewell’s debut match. The capital team started confidently, played directly, and dominated the attack. There were three instances where the ball hit the crossbar and posts of Ninh Binh. Both goals conceded came from set pieces, specifically free kicks by Hoàng Đức.

"The most important thing in football is scoring goals. Today, we played well enough to win but did not finish as effectively as our opponents, so we lost. My players gave their best and played entertaining football.

Players like Văn Quyết and the Brazilian players are very enthusiastic. We played beautiful football. But the goals against us came from set pieces and positional errors. Nevertheless, we will bounce back and fix these issues soon," added new head coach Harry Kewell.