Ho Chi Minh City Police FC: Bringing back their elegant and dedicated style to the V-League.

What can we expect from the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club?

After the golden age of the 1980s and 90s with a series of famous names such as Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, Saigon Port, Food Industry, Customs... football in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Southern football in general has fallen into difficulties for almost a decade.

The last time a Ho Chi Minh City team competed for the championship was in the V-League, when Ho Chi Minh City FC (the predecessor of the current Ho Chi Minh City Police FC) competed for the title with Hanoi FC, ultimately finishing second. That was also a rare period when Ho Chi Minh City football rediscovered its passion. The team received significant investment, brought in many star players, and the Thong Nhat Stadium was packed with spectators.

CLB Công an TP.HCM: Mang bản sắc hào hoa, cống hiến trở lại V-League- Ảnh 1. — The emblem of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club has returned.

However, just like the story of Saigon Xuan Thanh and Navibank Saigon 12 years ago, the joy of Ho Chi Minh City football is often short-lived. Teams invest heavily, recruiting top players to enhance their image, but after only a few seasons, when the business leaves, the club falls into a vicious cycle of decline, or even dissolution (four teams named Saigon have dissolved in the past 20 years). The fans' faith is challenged, and Thong Nhat Stadium becomes cold again, with only a few thousand spectators attending football matches on weekends.

Even Ho Chi Minh City FC (before changing its name), the last remaining representative, was struggling financially, playing poorly and not having a single national team player.

Despite receiving significant financial support, the team nicknamed "The Red Battleship" failed to develop an identity, focusing instead on buying players and then tearing down and rebuilding at the end of each season.

"Southern Vietnamese football used to have a very strong team like Saigon Port. They played a graceful, elegant style, with short, quick passes from the defense before developing a beautiful game," shared Vietnam women's national team coach Mai Duc Chung.

Former Ho Chi Minh City football legends also recalled the time when the iconic Southern teams were so vibrant. One former central defender shared: "Every time there was a Ho Chi Minh City derby between Saigon Port, Ho Chi Minh City Police... fans would flock there several days early, lining up to fill the streets leading to the stadium. Spectators loved the team because they knew the players possessed the spirit of the South, fighting and dedicating themselves to the team."

CLB Công an TP.HCM: Mang bản sắc hào hoa, cống hiến trở lại V-League- Ảnh 2. — The Ho Chi Minh City Police Club sets high goals.

This identity has been struggling for the past two decades, with Ho Chi Minh City football changing style every season.

Therefore, when the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club returns, it's not simply the comeback of an icon, but also carries the mission of bringing back the beautiful football of yesteryear to the Southern football fields.

Worth expecting

The first step for the Ho Chi Minh City Police FC was to appoint Le Huynh Duc as head coach. A renowned striker for the former Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, Le Huynh Duc absorbed the spirit of Southern Vietnamese football from a young age, playing alongside his father (Le Van Tam, a famous striker for the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry FC) at the Military Zone 7 stadium.

Despite his strength and physique, Le Huynh Duc doesn't rely on brute force, but rather plays with a focus on technique, directness, and clean, effective ball handling. Le Huynh Duc understands the soul of Ho Chi Minh City football, and the former Da Nang coach was brought in to bring back the "essence" of the old Ho Chi Minh City Police Club.

CLB Công an TP.HCM: Mang bản sắc hào hoa, cống hiến trở lại V-League- Ảnh 3. — Coach Le Huynh Duc needs time to build a strong team.

With a deeper squad thanks to the addition of a series of new players, most notably striker Nguyen Tien Linh, foreign player Matheus Felip (valued at 30.5 billion VND), Samuel Bastien, combined with key players from last season such as goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang, defender Vo Huy Toan, center-back Tran Hoang Phuc, midfielders Endrick Santos and Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC has a strong force to build its identity.

However, buying players isn't difficult; the real challenge lies in shaping a consistent playing style and philosophy that lives up to the glorious tradition of Ho Chi Minh City football.

During his time coaching Da Nang FC, Le Huynh Duc was a "devotee" of attacking football. In recent friendly matches, this philosophy continued to be demonstrated by the former star player, as Ho Chi Minh City Police FC pushed their formation high up the field, pressing and coordinating relatively well.

The challenge for coach Le Huynh Duc is that the Ho Chi Minh City Police FC squad is still very new, so it will take time to connect and assemble them. "Rome wasn't built in a day."

Ho Chi Minh City Police FC is a name worth watching this season. Let the flame at Thong Nhat Stadium burn brightly once again.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-cong-an-tphcm-mang-ban-sac-hao-hoa-cong-hien-tro-lai-v-league-185250810104821561.htm