HAGL is in freefall.
The 0-1 defeat at Thong Nhat Stadium against Ho Chi Minh City FC in V-League Round 15 has pushed HAGL closer to crisis. In their last 13 matches, coach Le Quang Trai's team has only earned 11 points (2 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses). From leading the table after 3 rounds, HAGL dropped out of the top 5 after 7 rounds, fell to the lower half after the first half of the season, and now sit in 10th place.
The gap between HAGL and the relegation zone is only 4 points. This is not yet a safe distance for two reasons. Their rivals in the fight to avoid relegation are all rising in form, while HAGL faces a very tough schedule from rounds 16 to 20.
HAGL (in blue shirts) displayed their shirts on the pitch of Ho Chi Minh City FC.
Awaiting the stormy run of matches for Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh's team are Thanh Hoa (Round 16), Binh Duong (Round 17), Hanoi Police FC (Round 18), Ha Tinh (Round 19), and Hai Phong (Round 20). In 5 matches against these teams in the first half of the season, HAGL only managed to secure... 4 points.
The Hanoi Police, Thanh Hoa, and Binh Duong teams are all on a higher level than HAGL. Meanwhile, the other two opponents also present a tough challenge. Ha Tinh FC is the most difficult team to beat in this season's V-League, having lost only 1 out of 15 matches played. Their counter-attacking style, quick transitions, and sharp passing game have completely neutralized HAGL, who were in good form in the first half of the season. Meanwhile, Hai Phong has won 3 out of their last 4 matches, climbing 4 places to 9th.
The problem for HAGL is that, apart from the two impressive matches at the beginning of the season against Quang Nam and SLNA, the team's victories often seem lucky and controversial, while the draws and losses match their on-field performance.
HAGL defeated Hanoi Police FC in a match that lasted only about 50 minutes, with the rest of the game disrupted by the home team's time-wasting tactics. In the previous match against Hanoi, HAGL had a man advantage for 83 minutes, but still struggled to secure the three points. When the two teams met again in Pleiku, Hanoi FC avoided making the same mistakes and easily overwhelmed HAGL.
HAGL needs an impressive final sprint to secure a safe finish.
Besides their questionable strength, HAGL also performed poorly against teams in similar situations. Minh Vương and his teammates only managed draws and losses against Ho Chi Minh City FC, Bình Định, Đà Nẵng, and Hải Phòng.
Waiting for Mr. Vu Tien Thanh's sprinting performance.
If their opponents play to their full potential in the next five matches, HAGL might not even get a single point. Coach Vu Tien Thanh's young team has reached its limit with a thin squad and low morale after a series of draws and losses recently.
This is the time for the tactical prowess of the coaching duo, Le Quang Trai and Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh, to be demonstrated. Vu Tien Thanh helped Ho Chi Minh City FC avoid relegation in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, as well as HAGL FC avoid relegation in the 2023-2024 season, thanks to their impressive ability to accumulate points in the final rounds. Ho Chi Minh City FC earned 12 points in their last 8 V-League matches in 2022, under Vu Tien Thanh's leadership, climbing from bottom to 9th place. In the 2023 season, Ho Chi Minh City FC also earned 7 points in their last 4 matches, just enough to secure their survival in the league.
Similarly, at the end of last season, HAGL also surged ahead with 10 points after 7 matches, thus securing a safe finish.
HAGL needs a similarly impressive run to avoid relegation to the First Division. The team's focus this season will be on the final three rounds, when they face Da Nang, SLNA, and Quang Nam. These are all direct rivals in the survival race. If Coach Thanh continues his lucky streak in the final rounds, as he has done for the past three years, HAGL will secure their survival.
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-sap-dau-toan-doi-manh-co-the-tru-hang-neu-ong-vu-tien-thanh-185250303105545221.htm
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