Ho Chi Minh City football depends on foreign players

The two city football representatives participating in V-League this season, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, have been playing inconsistently because they depend too much on foreign players.

Ho Chi Minh City Police Club needs a backup plan

Ho Chi Minh City Police Club had a smooth start to the season when they were constantly in the top 4 of the V-League, but their performance has gradually declined, drawing 1 and losing 2 out of the last 3 matches. Meanwhile, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, although considered a candidate for relegation because they lost 4 consecutive matches at the beginning of the season, is gradually improving after changing the head coach.

Losing to Hai Phong FC in the 9th round of V-League on November 1, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC not only suffered their first defeat at home this season but also dropped to 5th place in the rankings. This is also the second consecutive loss for coach Le Huynh Duc and his team.

Before that, the Thong Nhat Stadium team was undefeated at home, achieved surprising results against tough opponents and was continuously in the top 3 teams of the tournament. The good performance of the HCM City Police Club depends on a high-quality foreign squad, spread across 3 lines, including center-back Matheus Felipe, midfielder Endrick Dos Santos and striker Raphael Utzig.

Ho Chi Minh City Police Club is in decline due to foreign players losing form. (Photo: QUOC AN)

However, in the last 3 rounds without knowing a win, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club could no longer maintain stability thanks to the foreign players. In the 2 matches lost to Hanoi Police Club and Hai Phong Club, Ho Chi Minh City team only had 1 foreign player in the starting lineup, making the team's tactical system not smooth.

Having lost many key players due to injuries, Coach Le Huynh Duc had to use young, inexperienced players. Lacking suitable pieces, the tactics of the HCM City Police Club were disrupted, "dull attack and weak defense" led to two consecutive defeats.

Commenting on the team's inconsistent performance, coach Le Huynh Duc said the reason stems from the club not having a suitable backup plan to deal with the absence of foreign players or key players. "The absence of foreign players makes the team's playing style difficult. The attack missed many opportunities while the defense lacked cohesion, exposing mistakes for the opponent to take advantage of. We will learn from experience and improve our performance for the next matches," he emphasized.

Becamex Ho Chi Minh City gradually rises

While the team from the same city is in a slump, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City Club has reaped many positive results. The team from the land of Thu unexpectedly defeated the reigning champion Nam Dinh and drew with Ninh Binh FC - the team leading the rankings.

After a big win over Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club in the opening day of V-League, Becamex TP HCM suffered 4 consecutive defeats. This poor result forced coach Nguyen Anh Duc to resign, giving the "hot seat" to Mr. Dang Tran Chinh.

Under the guidance of this veteran strategist, the Go Dau home team quickly changed its appearance, exploiting the potential of foreign players and experienced domestic players. In the last 4 rounds, Becamex TP HCM won 1 match, drew 2 matches. Notably, the impressive performance in round 9 on November 1, the team held Ninh Binh FC to a 1-1 draw right at the ancient capital of Hoa Lu.

From being a candidate for relegation, constantly struggling in the bottom two, Becamex TP HCM has risen to 9th place with 8 points. Coach Dang Tran Chinh is excited when the foreign players are getting into the rhythm and integrating with the team's general playing style. The Nigerian striker duo Ugochukwu Ogbonnaya Oduenyi (4 goals) and Origbaajo Ismaila (1 goal) have both "opened the fire", finding the feeling of scoring at the top.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bong-da-tp-hcm-luy-ngoai-binh-196251102212226871.htm