Some players are almost 2 meters tall!

HAGL, already young, is now even younger.

Sixth place after 11 rounds can be considered a success for HAGL. The team, led by technical director Vu Tien Thanh, had a dream start in the V-League with 5 unbeaten matches and a position in the top 4, then experienced a dip in form (winning only 1 out of 9 matches), before making a spectacular comeback by defeating Hanoi FC to return to the top half of the table.

For a young and inexperienced team competing in the V-League for the first time, this is an encouraging result for HAGL. Coach Le Quang Trai's players defeated both Hanoi Police FC and Hanoi FC (both with a score of 1-0), drew with reigning V-League champions Nam Dinh (0-0) and reigning National Cup champions Thanh Hoa (1-1).

HAGL is ranked sixth after 11 matches in the V-League.

Previously, HAGL often lacked confidence in big matches. However, after a year of Mr. Vu Tien Thanh and his colleagues joining the team, the situation has changed.

HAGL has become a more resilient, disciplined, and scientifically-minded team. Notably, the Pleiku-based team has improved despite using a squad with many players aged U.22, U.20, and even U.17. HAGL, along with SLNA, are the two youngest teams in the V-League. However, unlike SLNA, which is currently at the bottom of the table, HAGL has 17 points after 11 matches and has a strong chance of securing their survival early.

In the second phase, HAGL submitted an additional registration list of 4 players to the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF). Coach Vu Tien Thanh's new recruits include: Dinh Quang Kiet (born in 2007), Nguyen Minh Tam (2005), Moi Se (2005), and Hoang Minh Tien (2005). In total, HAGL has 9 U.22 players, the youngest of whom is midfielder Tran Gia Bao, who is not yet 17 years old.

These players share a common trait: they all came through the HAGL Academy, playing for various youth levels such as U.19 and U.21, and leaving a positive impression. Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh shared with Thanh Nien Newspaper: "HAGL's policy is to use homegrown players to compete in the V-League. The team will strive to secure their place in the league early, then aim to finish in the top half of the table."

Dinh Quang Kiet (far right, top row) has a height that surpasses his teammates of the same age.

Quang Kiet can play both as a midfielder and a forward.

Among HAGL's young stars, Dinh Quang Kiet is a particularly notable name. Quang Kiet is only 18 years old, but already stands at 1.95m tall (according to the VPF player registration). He previously played for the Vietnam U16 team that won the runner-up title at the 2022 Southeast Asian U16 Championship, and then helped the Vietnam U17 team qualify for the 2023 Asian U17 Championship with impressive results, including a resounding 3-0 victory against Thailand U17.

In 2024, Quang Kiet was promoted to the Vietnam U.19 team. There, the "giant" from HAGL, although not playing regularly, was still considered a promising talent. Quang Kiet was previously deployed as a striker at the youth level thanks to his impressive height (1.95 m), which allowed him to capitalize on aerial situations.

Although some experts believe the player born in 2007 has not yet perfected his basic football skills and his ball handling is not yet neat, Quang Kiet is still young and has plenty of time to improve.

HAGL's gamble

HAGL's decision to use young players has nurtured many promising talents. A prime example is goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien. The 2003-born goalkeeper has secured a starting spot in the V-League this season and has improved with each game.

Not only is Trung Kien confident in his goalkeeping and has good reflexes, but he also demonstrates excellent penalty-saving abilities with a crucial save from the penalty spot in the match against Da Nang FC. In the match against Binh Phuoc in the National Cup, the 1.91m tall goalkeeper made spectacular saves to block penalty kicks from Tuan Tai and Tan Sinh, leading HAGL to the quarterfinals.

Young center-back Pham Ly Duc also performed well in his V-League debut. He played all 11 of HAGL's V-League matches since the start of the season and has never been substituted (playing a full 990 minutes). Similarly, young striker Tran Gia Bao, despite being only 17 years old, scored on his V-League debut.

This provides a foundation for hoping that other valuable talents of HAGL will quickly integrate. If HAGL secures their place in the league early, Coach Le Quang Trai's players will have even more confidence to showcase their abilities. A young, dynamic HAGL is taking shape from within these difficult times.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-la-dan-sao-tre-cua-hagl-co-cau-thu-cao-toi-gan-2-m-185250202191048389.htm