Two kicks at Dinh Bac's legs: Dong Nai lose 3-0 and lose their image

On September 20, Dong Nai City Club hosted Cong An Hanoi at home in round 3 of V-League 2026-2027. The match ended 3-0 in favor of the away side, but the most discussed moment was not a goal. In the 78th minute, Huynh Tan Sinh delivered two consecutive kicks at Dinh Bac's legs. The incident happened in midfield while Dinh Bac was in possession and the away team was already leading 3-0. The home defender approached from behind and kicked straight at the 22-year-old striker's standing leg. Dinh Bac lost his balance and fell. The referee showed Tan Sinh a yellow card, but anger from fans and social media did not stop. The match had already taken a clear direction. In the 16th minute, Van Son of the home side made a retaliatory foul on Dinh Bac and received a straight red card. Dong Nai were reduced to ten men. With limited resources, they could not build a proper game against a quality team like Cong An Hanoi. The visitors controlled possession, applied constant pressure and scored three goals. By the 78th minute, the score was 3-0. The match was effectively over. But that was exactly when ugly football appeared. Dinh Bac held the ball in midfield. Tan Sinh followed from behind. There was no attempt to play the ball. Instead, the defender born in 2026 delivered two kicks straight at the opponent. The first made Dinh Bac stumble. The second hit his ankle and brought him down. If the referee had reviewed the situation closely, a red card was entirely possible. But the official only produced a yellow card. The moment became a hot topic online. Many fans condemned Tan Sinh's unsportsmanlike behavior. One account wrote: “We are all colleagues, why are you so vicious? You must respect your colleague's legs.” Another fan said: “This is deliberately destroying an opponent. It is unacceptable.” Tan Sinh is not an unfamiliar name. He played for Vietnam's U20 and U23 teams, won a gold medal at the 2026 SEA Games, and won the V-League with Hanoi FC, Cong An Hanoi and Quang Nam. At 28, he has experienced many highs. That makes his actions more disappointing. An experienced player understands the line between toughness and violence. He also knows that a kick at the standing leg can cause serious injury. Yet he still did it. From a tactical perspective, Dong Nai lost because they were weaker and had been reduced to ten men early. But from a behavioral perspective, their biggest defeat was losing control. The home players seemed unable to accept being 3-0 down on their own ground. Frustration turned into malicious fouls. Van Son was sent off in the 16th minute. Tan Sinh caused controversy in the 78th minute. The team did not only lose on the scoreboard; they lost their image in the eyes of fans. Based on my experience following V-League matches, incidents like the one in the 78th minute are rarely just a momentary loss of temper. It is the peak of a match in which the weaker team had already lost control of both the game and their emotions. Outsiders see the 3-0 scoreline. I see the pulse in the tunnel: the home team had already given up the match, but still wanted to leave a mark in the worst way possible. Many believe Tan Sinh deserves a heavy punishment from the disciplinary committee. “If he is not severely punished, this behavior will happen again,” one fan warned. That is not an exaggeration. Top-level football has tough tackles, but they must stay within the game. Tan Sinh's two kicks were not football. They showed aggression and recklessness, going against the spirit of sport. The referee may have let it go, but the organizers and public opinion will not. For Cong An Hanoi, the 3-0 win brought three full points. They remained calm, controlled the game and faced little difficulty. But their success was not only about goals. It was about staying composed against provocation. Dinh Bac was fouled repeatedly but did not retaliate, did not get booked, and did not argue. That was the biggest difference between the two teams in a match filled with heated moments. Looking back, the 78th-minute situation is a test for both the referee and the disciplinary committee. If it stops at a yellow card, players may think destroying an opponent is still safe. But if the committee reviews the footage and imposes an additional ban, it will send a clear message: Vietnamese football does not accept violent play. The open question is whether Dong Nai will look at themselves. The dressing room after the match must have been tense. Numbers tell what happened. The dressing room tells what comes next. For them, that is a silent verdict hard to swallow. A 3-0 defeat can be explained by the gap in quality. But a kick at an opponent's legs has no excuse. In the V-League, where competition is increasingly fierce, the line between toughness and violence is thin. The more experienced a player is, the better he must understand that line. Tan Sinh was a champion and a national team player. He knows colleagues are football's most valuable asset. That is why his two kicks at Dinh Bac's legs not only angered fans but also damaged his own reputation.