V-League violence: Silent referee, ignored VAR and the discipline equation

The Dong Nai Stadium on September 20 had a moment that referee Le Vu Linh did not appear in the ideal frame. Huynh Tan Sinh deliberately kicked Nguyen Dinh Bac from behind. It was not a challenge for the ball. It was a direct act of retaliation. The ball was out of play, Le Vu Linh was only a few meters away, and he still showed a yellow card. The crowd reacted in disbelief. CAHN players surrounded the referee, but the only response was a signal to continue. Nguyen Dinh Bac kept touching his ankle, but the match moved on. In football, some referee mistakes are too big to be called accidents. They saw it, but chose not to punish it. Following V-League for many years, I learned a simple rule: the first lesson of sports journalism is not about who scored, but about interviewing the silence when the press room is empty. The silence of Le Vu Linh, the silence of the VAR crew, and the silence of VFF referees board all tell a bigger story. Before this match, V-League 2026-2027 already had two violent shocks. In round 2, CAHN defender Doan Van Hau broke the leg of The Cong Viettel midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan. In the same round, Nam Dinh striker Ezeqiuel Santos Da Silva kicked SHB Da Nang player Vo Huu Viet Hoang in the stomach. These images spread quickly. Then came the Dong Nai match: Le Van Son used an elbow on Nguyen Dinh Bac, and Huynh Tan Sinh followed with a late kick from behind. Violence is no longer an isolated incident. It is becoming a chain reaction. VFF, VPF and the V-League organizing committee met with the VFF referees board. The message was clear: referees must apply the law properly and keep discipline. That means no missed fouls and no missed cards. A violent act must be punished with a red card. If the main referee does not see it, VAR must see it and speak up. Duong Vu Lam, former VFF vice president in charge of referees, told Dan Tri that referee Le Vu Linh missed a card. Huynh Tan Sinh committed a very obvious off-the-ball foul but did not receive a red card. Under football law, using excessive force or dangerous play against an opponent must be punished with a red card. Two deliberately late kicks are not simple challenges. They are intentional acts of violence. The VAR crew included Vo Hoai Thuong and Nguyen Thanh Son. Duong Vu Lam said if VAR advised the main referee and was overruled, the main referee is responsible. If VAR stayed silent, VAR officials also have to be punished. VAR cannot be a decoration. It is the last protection for fairness. Disciplinary decisions against referees are rarely made public. Duong Vu Lam said the easiest way to know is to follow the referee lists in the next rounds. If Le Vu Linh disappears from the list, he is likely banned. If he remains, it means the referees board sees no fault. If he remains while Tan Sinh is banned for the same situation, that would be a terrible message: players pay, referees are protected. Violence in this V-League season cannot be explained only by individual characters. The schedule is dense, fitness drops, pressure builds, and referees are afraid to make decisions. VAR is not always used with the right spirit. When a team needs points and a match is tense, the line between tough play and violence becomes blurred. A tackle without the ball is not a normal collision. A kick to the stomach is not bravery. Football is not a fighting ring. I deliberately do not call this only Dong Nai's story. CAHN, whose player Nguyen Dinh Bac was targeted, also has Doan Van Hau who caused a broken leg. Violence has no team colors. It grows when violent behavior is tolerated, referees avoid decisions, and discipline is not strong enough. There is a common argument that football is a contact sport and VAR kills natural flow. But look at the concrete scenes: an elbow without the ball, a kick from behind, a stamp on the stomach. Those are not natural contacts. Professional football has laws, referees, VAR and discipline. Excusing violence with the word "passion" will only create more injuries and destroy careers. VFF and VPF also need to question the role of clubs. A player who repeatedly commits violent fouls is shaped by coaching staff and team culture. Without sanctions against clubs and clear responsibility for bench staff, violence will be used as a tactical tool. The match between Dong Nai and CAHN is over, but the aftermath is not. I am waiting for the next referee list. I want to see if Le Vu Linh is still there. I want to see if Vo Hoai Thuong and Nguyen Thanh Son are still assigned to VAR. I want to see if Huynh Tan Sinh receives a retrospective ban that matches the red card he should have received on the field. If the answer is no, the lesson of discipline remains unfinished. If the answer is yes, Vietnamese football can begin to repair its system. Injury does not start from the moment of collision; it starts from a signal that everyone chooses to ignore. The dressing room door has no nameplate, but I learned to knock with precision. When the press room is empty, interview the silence. V-League discipline is being tested. If we only have meetings and then silence, violence will return. If we have suspensions, referee bans and VAR accountability, Vietnamese football will stand up from this wound.