CAHN Club 'hunting' for good defender
CAHN Club ended the 2024 - 2025 season with relatively good results: third place in V-League, runner-up in ASEAN Club Championship and champion of the National Cup.
Despite knowing that with a high competition schedule (39 matches, the most among Vietnamese teams last season), CAHN Club played to the best of their ability, but there were still regrets. For example, the 3-3 draw in the second leg of the ASEAN Club Championship final with Buriram, or the mid-season stumbles in the V-League that eliminated coach Alexandre Polking and his team from the championship race.
Bui Hoang Viet Anh is an important piece in the CAHN Club defense.
PHOTO: MINH TU
The common point of most of CAHN Club's stumbling blocks last season was their unstable defense. Despite having quality central defenders such as Hugo Gomes, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, and Tran Dinh Trong, CAHN Club could not build a satisfactory defensive framework. CAHN Club often left their flanks exposed when pressing high to dominate the game due to the large space behind the central defenders, and also conceded goals from clearances and indecisive positioning.
Therefore, when the 2024 - 2025 season ended, CAHN Club immediately "hunted" for talented defenders to strengthen the squad that will play in 4 arenas next season. Viet Anh and Gomes are both good central defenders, but not enough. The former V-League champion team needs more competitiveness and depth of force to divide strength on many fronts.
Young central defender Pham Ly Duc has been targeted and is likely to sign a contract with CAHN Club. Ly Duc played 20 matches last season, in his first time playing in the V-League. Despite his shortcomings and lack of experience, his enthusiasm, aggressiveness and fierce fighting ability have helped Ly Duc be called up to the Vietnam national team twice by coach Kim Sang-sik.
Ly Duc is a potential "rough diamond", and if polished by a strategist who is good at tactics and building a controlling style of play like Polking, the defender born in 2003 will continue to improve.
Ly Duc in HAGL shirt
PHOTO: KHA HOA
On the other hand, central defender Adou Minh (who will most likely join CAHN Club after reaching a personal agreement) has proven his ability, contributing greatly to helping Ha Tinh Club finish fifth in the V-League and enter the typical squad. Not yet able to fully integrate with limited Vietnamese, but Adou Minh still plays well in defense. Discipline in living, training to maintain physique and endurance, along with a "hot" playing style has helped Adou Minh conquer fans.
Adou Minh's best performance last season was his rock-solid performance that helped Ha Tinh draw 0-0 with CAHN FC in the second leg of the V-League. The French-born centre-back locked down the home team CAHN's attacking talents, winning every challenge and interception to help his team keep a clean sheet.
If recruiting Ly Duc and Adou Minh, CAHN Club's defense will be even harder to defeat.
Lessons from Coach Polking
In his first season with Vietnamese football (2021), Coach Polking received a lesson from a "life-long" failure at Ho Chi Minh City Club (now Ho Chi Minh City Police Club).
The Brazilian coach has reserved all three foreign player slots in the Ho Chi Minh City team for the strikers. He has eliminated center-back Pape Diakite to arrange a defense of all domestic players. Coach Polking wants to put all his efforts into the attack, while in the defense, he also prioritizes players who are good at passing the ball and initiating play to support the attack.
Adou Minh (white shirt) is a complete central defender.
PHOTO: MINH TU
It was Polking's unbalanced invention that made Ho Chi Minh City FC only rank 11th, winning only 3/12 matches. To be successful in V-League, teams need to have a balance between offense and defense. CAHN FC also attacked better than defended in the early stages. It was only when Coach Polking created a more balanced formula that CAHN team accelerated and won consecutive matches at the end of the season.
CAHN Club will face many strong teams in the ASEAN Club Championship and AFC Champions League 2 next season. Facing the "giant" clubs in Asia, Coach Polking's team needs a strong shield if they want to build success.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-cahn-san-sao-viet-kieu-va-ngoc-quy-hagl-hlv-polking-xay-hang-thu-thep-18525071722190905.htm
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