V-League relegation race: Unexpected name appears next to HAGL

The V-League relegation race is gradually taking shape, as familiar faces like Da Nang Club, SLNA or HAGL are all in the bottom 5 teams.

Storms await HAGL

After a commendable 0-0 draw at Hanoi FC in round 2, HAGL quickly returned to earth. In the match at Thong Nhat Stadium against Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, the mountain town team lost 0-1, thereby continuing to stand second to last with 1 point after 3 matches.

In the defeat against Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, HAGL struggled for more than 70 minutes, allowing the opponent to shoot 15 times towards the goal (including the only goal scored by Endrick).

HAGL (blue shirt) collapsed at Thong Nhat Stadium

PHOTO: VPF

Coach Le Quang Trai’s team could only defend with a large number of players like the match against Hanoi. But in the previous match, the determination of the young generation to prove themselves helped HAGL play with vigor. However, this was only a temporary psychological boost. When the excitement passed, HAGL returned to a loose form, full of gaps. If Tien Linh, Endrick or Van Toan had been more careful, the away team would have lost by more than 1 goal.

The defensive style of play, then counter-attacking thanks to the inspiration of Ryan Ha or Conceicao, was predicted, in the context of HAGL saying goodbye to... almost a squad after the 2024 - 2025 season. In the hands of coach Le Quang Trai is currently the second youngest squad in V-League, with half of the personnel having never played more than 2 seasons in the highest level of Vietnamese football.

It is even more difficult for HAGL, when right at the beginning of the season, Mr. Le Quang Trai's students face "big mountains" like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, Hanoi Police Club (CAHN Club) or Nam Dinh .

With 1 point, 0 goals, 4 goals conceded and a lackluster performance after the first 3 rounds, HAGL is the leading candidate for relegation. To survive, the mountain town team must make much more effort than in previous seasons.

Highlight Ho Chi Minh City Police Club 1-0 HAGL: Closer to the top of the rankings

Former champion Thanh Hoa Club in danger

The presence of Thanh Hoa FC at the bottom of the table is a shock after the first stage. When coach Velizar Popov was still in charge, the Thanh team was once in the top 3 and competed for the championship on equal terms with Hanoi FC, CAHN FC and Nam Dinh. Thanh Hoa FC won the National Cup (2023, 2023 - 2024) and the National Super Cup (2023).

However, things changed too quickly. The collapse began at the end of last season, when Mr. Popov resigned after a series of 14 games without a win. Coach Tomislav Steinbruckner (Croatia) was appointed to replace him, but also resigned after 2 months because he could not revive the team. Thanh Hoa FC fell freely, but did not get relegated because they accumulated enough points in the early stages of the season.

Thanh Hoa Club has only 1 point after 3 matches

PHOTO: THANH HOA CLUB

However, the crisis of force (lack of good players) and the upper management (Chairman Cao Tien Doan was arrested) has been causing Thanh Hoa Club to struggle. After 3 matches, the Thanh team only drew with Da Nang at home, before losing to Ninh Binh (0-4) and Ha Tinh (0-1). Although coach Choi Won-kwon, former assistant of Mr. Kim Sang-sik, still reassured fans, the performance of Thanh Hoa Club on the field is not showing positive points.

The Thanh team needs to recover, first of all in the match against Hai Phong in round 4, if they do not want to be caught up in the relegation race like the obsession 6 years ago (losing 8 consecutive matches at the end of the season and having to play the relegation play-off).

In addition, both Da Nang and SLNA also quickly... fell into the bottom group. SLNA only rose up in the comeback against Nam Dinh in round 2 (won 2-1), in between 2 losses 1-2 against PVF-CAND and 0-2 against Hai Phong. Da Nang Club lost 2 consecutive matches against Ha Tinh and Ninh Binh at home at Hoa Xuan Stadium, after drawing with Thanh Hoa in the opening match.

Overall, both teams are either too young or lack depth. V-League is a long-distance race, forcing teams to have a deep squad and good physical strength to survive.

Another surprise in the bottom group is Hanoi FC (ranked 11th). The current runner-up is in crisis with only 1 point after 3 matches. In the 4th round, Hanoi FC will have to face The Cong Viettel, the team that is flying high with the second place. This is a high-dose test for Van Quyet and his teammates, and if they overcome it, this will be a turning point in the season for Hanoi FC.

Watch LPBank V-League 1-2025-2026 live & in full on FPT Play, at https://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cuoc-dua-tru-hang-v-league-cai-ten-bat-ngo-xuat-hien-ben-canh-hagl-185250831111917481.htm