Football

HÀ NỘI Coach Alexandre Polking praised Hà Nội Police's foreign players following their 3-0 victory over SHB Đà Nẵng at Hàng Đẫy Stadium on Sunday.

Polking, pleased with the result, emphasised that the team will strive for improvement.

"We are very happy with this result. The police team scored three goals and kept a clean sheet for two consecutive matches. I am satisfied with that. However, SHB Đà Nẵng played very tight defence, and at times we didn’t capitalise on the spaces behind their defence,” he said.

“In the second half, I brought on Đình Bắc, a fast player, which led to the first goal. After that, the team found more space and scored additional goals. Lê Văn Đô and Đình Bắc are both quick wingers, adding versatility to our attack. Hà Nội Police had a breakthrough when they entered the game,” added Polking, a former Thai national team head coach.

In this match, striker Alan Grafite scored once, while Leo Artur netted twice. 

Polking remarked: “Grafite is a unique player, and Artur can play as a false striker. We have various players with different styles. When Grafite came onto the field, he scored, and the team played more fluidly. I am very happy to have Grafite in the squad, but we have many players to adapt our tactics.”

Grafite joined V.League 1 last season with Bình Định FC, quickly adapting and making an impact. The 26-year-old Brazilian striker has scored a total of 17 goals, ranking second in the scoring race behind Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, alias Nguyễn Xuân Son.

Earlier, Grafite and Artur helped Hà Nội Police secure a 3-0 victory against defending champions Nam Định.

Hà Nội Police currently top the rankings with three wins, two draws and one loss, totalling 11 points. They share the same score as Thanh Hóa and Thể Công but hold the top position due to a superior goal difference.

Meanwhile, Đà Nẵng have fallen to the bottom of the table with only three points and are at risk of relegation. VNS