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

On the evening of September 19, at Long An Stadium, foreign striker Brenner Marlos scored three goals to help Bac Ninh Club beat the hosts 3-2 in the National Cup qualifying round 2026-2027. This was seen as a gift to welcome Bac Ninh becoming a centrally-governed city from September 20. In context, Bac Ninh just earned promotion to V-League after beating PVF-CAND in the play-off. Paulo Foiani's side caused a big surprise in V-League Round 2 by beating title candidate Cong An TP.HCM 1-0. Meanwhile, Long An were desperate for their first win of the season after a 0-1 defeat to Cong An Nhan Dan in First Division Round 1. Therefore, the meeting between a newly promoted side and a motivated second-tier team was expected to be balanced. But the reality on the pitch was one-sided for most of the first half. All three Bac Ninh goals came from dead-ball situations or crosses into the box. The opener came from a header after a corner. The second was created from the left wing by Phan The Hung. The third came from a free kick by Vu Hong Quan, the ball hit the post and Brenner followed up. This shows Bac Ninh did not create many chances from open play, but relied on aerial duels and set pieces. However, the most worrying thing was the fragility in defense after taking a 3-0 lead. In the last 15 to 17 minutes, Long An seemed to wake up and pushed their formation forward, forcing Bac Ninh to defend deeply. The hosts scored two goals, the second coming from a mistake by center-back Van Dat in clearing the ball. This is a specific weakness that can be fixed, but if repeated often, it will become the Achilles' heel of the newly promoted team. Looking at Brenner Marlos's performance, Bac Ninh's heavy dependence on the Brazilian striker is clear. All three goals were scored by him, no other domestic player scored. This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, a high-scoring foreign striker is a valuable asset for a newly promoted club. On the other hand, if Brenner gets injured or loses form, Bac Ninh almost loses all attacking power. Watching many matches, Vietnamese teams collapse when putting too much faith in a single foreign star. The important thing is to look at this victory soberly. First, the accuracy of match data is not high. The original article did not provide xG, possession or shot numbers. Therefore, it cannot be said Bac Ninh completely controlled the game. Second, a 3-2 score from a 3-0 lead is a warning, even though the visitors advanced. Third, the source is unidentified, and even the 2026-2027 season may be a data error. For me, the market never lies, only unread contracts. But here, even match data is unverified. Another contrarian view is that this victory may create an illusion about Bac Ninh's real strength. With two consecutive wins, Paulo Foiani's team is being praised as a phenomenon. But opponents will soon find a way to neutralize the aerial game. If there is no Plan B, Bac Ninh could fall into crisis. For Long An, this defeat puts great pressure on the coaching staff. Two official matches, two defeats, the goal of first win remains unfulfilled. From a governance perspective, crisis does not destroy football, it only erases bad managers. Long An needs to find a solution before the season slips away. On the market and commercial side, this match once again shows Vietnamese football relies heavily on foreign strikers, especially Brazilians. Both teams have Brazilian foreigners in their squads. This is a structural feature, not a new story. But it raises the question of cost and sustainability for small clubs: how much to spend on a foreign center-forward, and how to avoid dependence on a single individual. For Bac Ninh, owning Brenner is paying off, but the succession plan remains open. Notably, there is a coincidence between the club's success and the city's administrative upgrade. On September 20, Bac Ninh officially became a centrally-governed city. The win right before this event was promoted by local media as a source of regional pride. However, we must distinguish between emotional storytelling and professional reality. A National Cup qualifying win cannot turn a newly promoted club into a title contender. It is only a positive early-season signal, and we need at least 10 more rounds to assess accurately. Bac Ninh have a clear identity: attack first, defend later, vulnerable when opponents speed up at the end. This is a common state of newly promoted teams. They start the season with excitement, but once opponents understand their system, they will struggle. The problem is not scoring, but protecting their lead. If not fixed soon, matches like the one against Long An will become nightmares against stronger opponents. The biggest lesson: do not rush to crown a team because of a foreign striker's hat-trick. Look at squad structure, defense, and verified data. Modern football is not won on the pitch, but bought at the negotiation table. If Bac Ninh maintain this pace, they truly deserve to be called a phenomenon. If not, early praise will become pressure."