Vietnamese football’s enfant terrible: How violence is eclipsing Doan Van Hau’s talent

During Thursday's V-League 1 Round 2 clash, Cong An Hanoi left-back Doan Van Hau received a direct red card for a vicious studs-up tackle on The Cong - Viettel midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan. 

The challenge not only sidelined a national teammate but also exposed a troubling pattern of behavior, raising fundamental questions about sportsmanship, public trust, and his role in the national team ahead of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.

The collision at Hang Day

On a tense September evening at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, the capital derby stood deadlocked at 0-0 as the clock ticked toward the 69th minute.

In a seemingly harmless phase of play near the midfield line -- far removed from any immediate danger to the goal -- the left-back lunged forward, stamping viciously onto his opponent's shin and ankle.

Referee Ngo Duy Lan initially brandished a yellow card, but after a review on the VAR monitor revealed the sheer physical danger of the challenge, he revoked the booking and issued a direct red card.

Reduced to ten men, Cong An Hanoi retreated into a deep defensive shell before stealing a 1-0 victory in the 90+3 minute through a header by Australian midfielder Stefan Mauk.

Yet the true casualty of the night lay writhing on the turf, as subsequent medical examinations confirmed that Tan suffered bone marrow edema of the lower fibula and a talofibular ligament tear.

The diagnosis ruled the The Cong - Viettel midfielder out for three to four weeks, forcing him to miss his club's crucial AFC Champions League Two fixture against Melbourne Victory on September 16.

From Changzhou prodigy to reckless aggression

This latest outburst was no isolated incident, but rather the continuation of a troubling trajectory that has transformed Hau from a beloved prodigy into the black sheep and enfant terrible of Vietnamese football.

Rising to national prominence during the historic U23 Asian Championship campaign in Changzhou back in 2018, the left-back possessed an extraordinary combination of height, athletic power, and tactical intelligence that promised a world-class career.

Vietnam were the runners-up at the championship.

However, observers note that following his brief 10-month stint with SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands, which ended in June 2020, Hau returned to domestic football with a distinctly colder, more aggressive demeanor, increasingly relying on physical intimidation and dangerous tackles rather than pure technique.

The lingering echoes of his 2019 Southeast Asian Games final challenge -- which left Indonesia U22s' star Evan Dimas severely injured and forced to accept his silver medal in a wheelchair -- have never truly faded.

Having spent over two painful years sidelined by debilitating injuries himself, Hau ought to understand the sanctity of a professional footballer's health better than most. 

Instead, as physical degradation and inconsistent form have eroded his sharpness, he appears to have substituted raw aggression for agility, creating a bitter paradox where his violent tendencies escalate in tandem with his declining performances.

Backlash from fans

A cruel irony binds the fates of the two players involved in the Hang Day collision. 

During Hau's two-year battle with injury, Tan emerged as a vital midfield engine who propelled Vietnam to the ASEAN Cup 2024 title. 

When Tan was later absent, Hau returned to anchor the backline as Vietnam lifted the ASEAN Cup 2026 trophy. 

Now, just as both players were converging on the national radar, Hau's tackle threatens to exclude Tan from the upcoming national team assembly for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.

Public reaction to the incident was swift and unsparing, fueled as much by the tackle itself as by Hau's initial indifference. 

He offered no immediate apology while Tan was lying in agony, only expressing regret after the red card was shown, before television cameras caught him smiling as he walked off the pitch.

Hundreds of supporters expressing their outrage on Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper argued that endangering a colleague's livelihood is indefensible.

Many demanded severe supplementary sanctions from the Vietnam Football Federation and called for Hau to be dropped from the national team, even threatening to "turn off their TVs whenever the national team play."

From the technical area, Cong An Hanoi head coach Alexandre Polking conceded that the red card was the pivotal turning point that threw his side into jeopardy, while The Cong - Viettel manager Velizar Popov lamented the devastating loss of a core player right on the eve of continental competition.

Vietnam's football without Doan Van Hau

Although Hau served as head coach Kim Sang Sik's primary left-sided center-back during the ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign, starting five crucial matches including both legs of the final against Thailand, his volatile temperament and declining discipline now force the national team to evaluate life without him.

Dropping Hau ahead of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 would be a statement of principle, and it would hardly constitute a tactical disaster for Vietnam.

Coach Kim boasts a deep reservoir of alternative defensive talent, including versatile domestic options like Pham Xuan Manh and the fully recovered Le Ngoc Bao of Ninh Binh.

Furthermore, the arrival of high-caliber mixed-heritage players provides the national team with a modern, disciplined defensive presence. 

Prominent examples include French-Vietnamese center-back Nguyen Adou Leygley Minh, who has shone for Cong An Hanoi in domestic and Asian competitions, and American-Vietnamese defender Luong Chi Khai (Kyle Colonna), whose nearly 1.90-meter frame has already made an impact at The Cong - Viettel.

In the end, top-tier football demands physical courage, but it never excuses recklessness that threatens the careers of fellow professionals.

Unless Hau undergoes a fundamental shift in mindset, he risks finding that Vietnamese football has moved on without him, leaving a once-glorious talent remembered only as a cautionary tale.