Foreign player scores hat-trick, Bac Ninh Club starts favorably in National Cup

On the evening of September 19, on the Long An pitch, foreign striker Brenner Marlos completed a hat-trick helping Bac Ninh Club defeat hosts Long An 3-2 in the qualifying round of the 2026-2027 National Cup. All three goals came from set pieces or crosses — an effective but one-dimensional attacking approach that raises questions about the tactical depth of the newly promoted club. Bac Ninh had just completed their promotion to V-League 1 by winning the playoff against PVF-CAND. Coach Paulo Foiani's team also surprised everyone by beating championship contender Cong An TP.HCM 1-0 in Round 2 of the V-League. This positive streak becomes even more significant when, just one day after the win over Long An, Bac Ninh was officially upgraded to a centrally-governed city — a symbolic coincidence for local sports storytelling. Long An entered the match determined to secure their first win of the new season. The southern team opened the 2026-2027 First Division with a 0-1 loss to Cong An Nhan Dan. Continuing to lose at home in the National Cup pushed them into a pressure cycle from the very start. Brenner's opening goal came from a corner kick, the Brazilian striker heading precisely into the far corner of Long An's goal. The second goal was built from a left-flank cross by Phan The Hung, Brenner sliding in to tap home. The third goal originated from a direct free kick by Vu Hong Quan, the ball striking the post and Brenner being in the right place to slot home. Three goals, three different finishing types — far-post header, close-range tap-in, and rebound off the post — demonstrate Brenner's versatile goal-scoring instincts. This is the profile of a typical focal No.9: intelligent movement in the box, good positioning, and most importantly, composure in front of goal. However, the match also exposed a concerning issue for Bac Ninh. After leading 3-0, Coach Paulo Foiani's team suddenly collapsed defensively. Long An woke up, pushed forward aggressively, and needed only about 15-17 minutes to pull two goals back. Long An's second goal came from a center-back error — Van Dat missed his clearance in the box, creating an opportunity for Romario Alves. The defensive collapse after leading 3-0 is a serious warning signal. In my experience following matches, newly promoted teams often carry an attacking DNA — playing with nothing-to-lose mentality — but this is a double-edged sword. A play style dependent on a single attacking focal point, combined with defensive fragility when pressed, constitutes the signature identity of recently promoted sides. Brenner Marlos scored all three of Bac Ninh's goals. No domestic player appeared on the scorers' list. Dependency on a single attacking outlet is a double-edged sword: if Brenner gets injured or drops form, Bac Ninh's entire attacking system faces the risk of paralysis. Many call this victory a "gift" for Bac Ninh on the occasion of the city's administrative upgrade. I understand that sentiment, but football should never be gifted — it must be earned. And looking closely, Bac Ninh nearly lost that gift in the final 15 minutes. The real story here is not Brenner's hat-trick or the administrative upgrade coincidence. The real story is a newly promoted club walking a tightrope: one end is the confidence from an impressive result streak, the other is the abyss of foreign-player dependency and defensive fragility. Long An, despite losing, showed an instinct to never give up. Two goals scored within less than 20 minutes is a reminder that Vietnamese First Division football is not short on quality — what it lacks is stability. Romario Alves, Long An's foreign player, also scored in this defeat. Both teams are relying on foreign strikers as strategic cornerstones. Bac Ninh needs time to build squad depth. They need at least one full season to determine whether this is a promotion-year phenomenon or a longer story. As for Long An — with two consecutive losses — they are facing season-opening pressure, and if they don't find wins soon, their story this season will only serve as a foundation for other teams to build their success. This match is a reminder: in Vietnamese football, coincidences between sports and geopolitics are not rare, but only teams that know how to build from within will truly survive after the fireworks fade.