Brenner's hat-trick gives Bac Ninh a thrilling 3-2 win over Long An in National Cup

On the evening of September 19, at Long An's home ground, Brazilian striker Brenner Marlos scored a hat-trick to help Bac Ninh beat the hosts 3-2 in the qualifying round of the 2026-2027 National Cup. The victory gave coach Paulo Foiani's side a place in the next round and created a perfect warm-up before Bac Ninh officially became a centrally-governed city on September 20. For local supporters, the result was seen as a meaningful gift, but inside the 3-2 scoreline there were still several warning signs. Bac Ninh entered the match as a newly promoted team after beating PVF-CAND in the playoff. In V-League Round 2, they surprised everyone by defeating Cong An TP.HCM 1-0. That positive run gave the team genuine confidence, and it showed in the way they approached their first cup tie of the season. Long An, by contrast, were under real pressure. A club with a glorious past in southern Vietnamese football, they now play in the First Division and had just lost 0-1 to Cong An Nhan Dan in the opening round. Their stated target was a first win, but this time they faced a top-flight opponent. From the early minutes, Bac Ninh pushed their defensive line higher, pressed from distance, and limited Long An's ability to build play. They allowed the hosts some possession in midfield but were sharp whenever the ball went wide. From a corner kick, Brenner rose high to head Bac Ninh into the lead. The goal came early enough to shape the match. Before the first half ended, Phan The Hung delivered a cross from the left and Brenner tapped in from close range. Then Vu Hong Quan took a free kick, the ball came back off the post, and Brenner was quickest to follow up. Within a short period, Bac Ninh led 3-0 and left Long An stunned. Brenner Marlos is not a dribbler. He moves intelligently inside the penalty area, finds his spot before the ball arrives, and jumps well. His hat-trick reflected the target-man role Bac Ninh's coaching staff are building around. But it also confirmed that the team's attacking weight rests almost entirely on one foreign striker. Once opponents work that out, Bac Ninh will need other solutions. The second half followed a completely different script. Long An woke up after the break. They pushed higher, increased their intensity, and repeatedly sent the ball into the box. The first goal gave the hosts belief they could come back. Bac Ninh's defense began to look uncomfortable. The second goal came from a poor clearance by center-back Van Dat, allowing Long An to cut the deficit to 2-3. From a position of near safety, Bac Ninh found themselves in a tense fight. In the final minutes, Long An threw everyone forward. Foreign forward Romario Alves caused plenty of problems, but no further goal came. Looking back at the match, Bac Ninh's victory was built on effective attacking, but their defensive issues were clear. Conceding two goals in a short spell after leading 3-0 is not something to ignore. If Long An had taken one of their late chances, the story could have been different. The real talking point is not the 3-2 scoreline but how Bac Ninh scored. All three goals came from set pieces or wide crosses; almost none came from central combinations. That shows Bac Ninh are playing a pragmatic game, maximizing Brenner's aerial strength and positioning. For a newly promoted club, this is sensible in the short term, but it also gives V-League opponents a clear target. A strong center-back and a disciplined low block could make Bac Ninh look blunt. Bac Ninh left Long An's ground with a win and a place in the next round. They also had Brenner's hat-trick and extra joy before their city's administrative upgrade. But football is not measured only by goals in one cup tie. The bigger question is whether this newly promoted side can stay stable once opponents understand their style, and whether their defense can avoid the kind of lapses seen against Long An. The answer will come in the next V-League rounds, where every loss of concentration costs points.