The Cong Viettel suffered a 5-0 home defeat to FC Seoul at Hang Day Stadium on 28 October, a result that leaves the Vietnamese side bottom of AFC Champions League Two Group E with one point from three matches. The newly crowned K League 1 champions scored four times before half-time, and according to SGGP and Thanh Nien the loss stretched The Cong's winless run to seven matches in all competitions.
How the match unfolded
FC Seoul arrived in Hanoi bottom of the group without a point, but needed only eight minutes to take the lead through Moon Seon-min, set up by Anderson Oliveira. According to the AFC and VFF, Anderson Oliveira doubled the advantage in the 21st minute, Hwang Do-yun made it 3-0 in the 29th and Cho Young-wook added a fourth in the 34th. VFF reported that the visitors had 85 percent of possession in the opening 15 minutes.
Nguyen Trung Hieu had the hosts' best chance in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, but his lob cleared the bar, SGGP reported. The Cong made three changes at the break to strengthen midfield and attack, yet Leonardo Ruiz scored the fifth in the 54th minute.
Seoul centre-back Yazan Al Arab was sent off for a second booking after fouling Khuat Van Khang in the 66th minute, according to the AFC, VFF and SGGP. Even with an extra man for roughly the last 25 minutes, The Cong could not find a consolation goal, with efforts from Hernandes and Lucas Ribamar coming to nothing.
Dan Tri recorded two details differently, crediting the third goal to Anderson Oliveira and placing the red card in the 74th minute, while Bongda24h said Seoul were down to ten men from the 62nd minute.
Popov points to the gap with Korea
Coach Velizar Popov told the post-match press conference that the difference in level between Korean and Vietnamese football explained the scoreline, and that he could not demand more of his players against a K League champion, SGGP reported. He reminded reporters that Vietnam's national team lost 6-0 the last time it played South Korea; SGGP noted that friendly took place in October 2023.
The Bulgarian said his players showed good spirit after the break and could have scored twice, so he did not see a psychological problem. According to Bongda24h, he also asked for patience while several players are injured.
FC Seoul coach Kim Gi-dong said no game was easy and recalled that his team trained in Vietnam in January 2025, when they also played The Cong. SGGP noted that the Korean side has three players who went to the 2026 World Cup. Asked about the red card, Kim joked that the player might have wanted some extra rest, VFF reported.
Group E after three rounds
Persib Bandung beat Melbourne Victory 2-0 on the same night with goals from Balsa Sekulic in the 47th and 67th minutes, according to Bongda24h. The AFC said it was the Indonesian side's third win in three games and Melbourne's first defeat. Persib had earlier beaten both FC Seoul and The Cong 1-0, so they have yet to concede in the group.
| Team | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Persib Bandung (Indonesia) | 3 | 9 |
| Melbourne Victory (Australia) | 3 | 4 |
| FC Seoul (South Korea) | 3 | 3 |
| The Cong Viettel (Vietnam) | 3 | 1 |
The table is compiled from Dan Tri, Bongda24h and the AFC. The Cong's only point came from their draw with Melbourne Victory, since their other two games were defeats by Persib and FC Seoul. They now trail second-placed Melbourne by three points and Persib by eight.
What comes next
According to Bongda24h, The Cong will visit FC Seoul in the fourth round of group games on 4 November, the same day Persib travel to Melbourne Victory. The club's domestic games are listed on the V.League fixtures page.