Ho Chi Minh City Police Department believes in young striker

Quoc Cuong - a player from Nghe An - is a striker with great personal skills, plays spontaneously and finishes confidently.

In round 10 of V-League 2025-2026, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club will face host Da Nang at Hoa Xuan Stadium at 6:00 p.m. on November 5 (FPT Play live coverage).

Inaccurate finishing

CA TP HCM Club is going through a difficult time due to the absence of key players. Without key players, coach Le Huynh Duc’s team suffered two consecutive defeats in the last two rounds. However, creating opportunities for young players also helps Mr. Duc exploit their potential and select successors.

This season, the HCM City Police team often catches up with the game quickly, confidently deploying an offensive game against the opponent but misses many opportunities due to inaccurate finishing. Coach Duc and his team often concede goals in 2/3 of the match time, stemming from lax defense.

In the loss to Hai Phong at Thong Nhat Stadium on November 1, the home team's defense did not cover well, forcing goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang to pick the ball out of the net twice within just 5 minutes. Center back Matheus Felipe has not been able to regain his best form and condition after injury, and was directly at fault for the two goals conceded. Meanwhile, their limited height caused the center back duo Gia Bao and Hoang Phuc to show their shortcomings in aerial combat, losing to the opponent in set pieces.

Striker Quoc Cuong is gradually asserting his position at the HCM City Police Club. Photo: QUOC AN

The "hole" in the HCM City Police's tactical scheme lies in the midfield. Without "conductor" Endrick, midfielder Raphael Schorr and Vo Huy Toan due to injury, Mr. Duc had to promote defender Viet Hoang and pull striker Van Binh into the midfield to share the responsibility of recovering and controlling the ball. Playing against their strengths, this duo could not demonstrate their abilities, causing the home team to lose control of the game.

In the last two rounds of defeat, CA TP HCM Club suffered a heavy loss of force and at one point, Coach Huynh Duc only had 1 foreign player in the starting lineup. In round 10, Mr. Duc will reunite with his old team - Da Nang Club. Mr. Duc is very knowledgeable about Da Nang football, having spent a long time with it and reaping many achievements as both a player and a coach.

The Han River team is at the bottom of the rankings with 7 points after 9 rounds. Currently, Da Nang is also one of the 5 teams that have conceded the most goals in V-League 2025-2026, with 14 goals conceded.

Impressive young striker

When Nguyen Tien Linh became the center of attention for opposing defenders, striker Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong had more "room to perform". The U23 Vietnam player scored against Hai Phong, opening the score in round 9. After 9 appearances in V-League this season, Quoc Cuong has scored 3 goals.

This season, Quoc Cuong is no longer a reserve player, and has been assigned by coach Huynh Duc to play as an attacking midfielder, alongside Tien Linh in the HCM City CA attack. Quoc Cuong shared: "Coach Huynh Duc always requires players to be confident when on the field so that they can play to their full potential and contribute to the team. Coach Duc's experience helps the whole team to be more united and determined. He is strict with the players in every training session to motivate his students to improve their professional level."

Progressing day by day, gradually asserting his position in the starting lineup of CA TP HCM Club, Quoc Cuong also worries about his lack of practical experience. "In the V-League last season, I played with the goal of rubbing, learning, and experiencing high-level arenas. I hope to be a different, better and more special version of myself this season. Battle experience is something I will need to improve and I will try to learn and cultivate from my teachers and teammates in both training and competition" - the 21-year-old midfielder expressed.

CA TP HCM Club has dropped to 5th place on the rankings after round 9. If they win, they will soon return to the top 3. In the last 5 encounters, CA TP HCM has been undefeated against Da Nang, including 4 wins.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/doi-cong-an-tp-hcm-tin-vao-chan-sut-tre-196251104211148512.htm