Công Phượng Returns to V.League After 1400 Days: Surprising 0-2 Loss to Thể Công and Controversy With Referee

The rain fell lightly on Thống Nhất Stadium, the cold atmosphere of the early season. In the Đồng Nai dressing room, number 10 player Công Phượng sat silently, clutching his football boots tightly, as if preparing for a highly anticipated return after 1400 days away. I stood at the end of the corridor, hearing the long sigh of an era. In the 2026-2026 V.League opener, Đồng Nai lost 0-2 to Thể Công. But behind that result was a longer story about a return, about pressure, about small moments and big decisions. I did not start the article with the score. I started with the moment Công Phượng picked up the ball, placed it on the penalty spot, then turned away without waiting for the referee's decision. At that moment, his gaze was not that of a star, but of a 31-year-old man who had waited too long.