HÀ NỘI — National Olympic team goalkeeper Bùi Tiến Dũng handed Becamex Bình Dương their third National Cup trophy, with a pair of howlers gifting the southern side two goals en route to a 3-1 victory over FLC Thanh Hoá on Monday at the central province of Quảng Nam’s Tam Kỳ Stadium.

Dũng is in the national team for the upcoming Southeast Asian Football Federation championship, but his performance on Monday will have done him no favours in his efforts to win the No 1 shirt.

Just 16 minutes into the game, Dũng flapped at a cross from Bình Dương’s Tô Văn Vũ and pushed it into his own net at the near post. While it was deflected slightly by defender Xuân Hưng, the keeper should have done better.

Things went from bad to worse for Thanh Hoá 20 minutes later, as after a long ball and a flick on, defender Đình Đồng was unable to control the ball, allowing Bình Dương midfielder Hồ Sỹ Giáp to finish brilliantly and secure a 2-0 lead.

Thanh Hoá struck back a minute before half-time, with striker Pape Omar coolly slotting into the net.

However, any hopes Thanh Hoá had of completing the comeback were snuffed out in the 65th minute, with Dũng again at fault.

Receiving a dangerous pass from one of his defender’s, Dũng managed to kick the ball straight into Vũ and was stuck watching as it rolled into the net, ending his side’s hopes for their first ever triumph in the competition.

It was the third cup for Bình Dương after their wins in 1994 and 2015.

Dũng will join the national team today as they fly to South Korea for a training camp to prepare for the regional tournament. His mistakes may cost his berth in Park Hang-seo’s first team.

His coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng said it was a big lesson for a young player like him. A final was a tough test and totally different from youth competitions.

On the other side, coach Trần Minh Chiến hugged Dũng after the game and said mistakes happened often in football. He hoped the goalie would stand up strong and continue contributing to the national team. — VNS