V-League relegation battle intensifies: HAGL and Thanh Hoa refuse to give up, former champions in danger.

HAGL is back!

Before their match against The Cong Viettel in round 8 of the V-League, HAGL were in a desperate situation. Coach Le Quang Trai's team had gone six consecutive matches without a win, their attack had only scored one goal, and they were at the bottom of the table.

Although the season is not even a quarter of the way through, it's worrying for HAGL that this season, the team from the mountainous region no longer has a senior player of sufficient caliber to lead them. With 15 out of 26 players being under 23 years old, HAGL is truly a "nursery," with young players relying on each other to survive.

However, in the crucial match of round 8, HAGL, at its most vulnerable and shaky in many years, emerged victorious.

Highlights HAGL 2-1 The Cong Viettel: An unexpected victory securing 3 valuable points.

Đua trụ hạng V-League khốc liệt: HAGL và Thanh Hóa không từ bỏ, cựu vương lâm nguy- Ảnh 1. — HAGL secured their first victory in the V-League 2025-2026 season.

Securing three points against The Cong Viettel by exploiting their opponent's counter-attacking strengths sent a firm message: HAGL is unlikely to escape the relegation battle, but the Pleiku-based team will not give up easily. The team from the mountain town defended tightly, combined with quick counter-attacks, scoring two goals from set pieces (Jairo Rodrigues' header) and counter-attacks (Ryan Ha's shot found the back of the net after the opponent lost possession in midfield).

The image of HAGL desperately defending (receiving 5 yellow cards after the 86th minute) to preserve their lead, even resorting to desperate tackles and time-wasting tactics, shows that HAGL doesn't need to play aesthetically pleasing or exciting football right now. The team from the mountain town just needs to win and continue to survive in the V-League. Their young and fragile squad doesn't allow Coach Le Quang Trai's players to compete on equal terms.

However, as HAGL began to show more resilience after each match and finally broke free from the heavy psychological burden that had plagued them for the past six rounds, the team from the mountain town still had the energy to break through.

Like HAGL, Thanh Hoa FC also ended their winless streak. The Thanh Hoa-Nghe An derby against a similarly struggling opponent like SLNA was an opportunity for coach Choi Won-kwon's team to taste victory for the first time. The result was that the less-than-poor team took all three points.

Đua trụ hạng V-League khốc liệt: HAGL và Thanh Hóa không từ bỏ, cựu vương lâm nguy- Ảnh 2. — Thanh Hoa Club secured an important victory.

Thanh Hoa FC may not be superior, but they know how to capitalize on opportunities. In crucial matches, a single moment can decide the game. Having experienced many ups and downs in the past, Thanh Hoa FC is no stranger to the relegation battle.

With the glory of winning the National Cup (champions in 2023 and 2023-2024) fading, the Thanh Hoa team needs to return to reality and accumulate points if they don't want to be relegated from the V-League. Coach Choi still has a strong squad at his disposal, with seasoned players like Ngoc Hai, Quoc Phuong, Xuan Hung, Thai Binh , along with young talents like Ngoc My, Thai Son, Nguyen Hoang, Van Thuan...

With a strong squad, Thanh Hoa FC deserves a better position, having finally removed the "weight" that has weighed on them since the beginning of the season.

Da Nang Club and SLNA are facing difficulties.

Having both been involved in the relegation battle last season, both Da Nang FC and SLNA are unlikely to escape another survival race this season. This is because neither team from Central Vietnam has improved in terms of investment resources, personnel, playing style, or football philosophy.

After parting ways with key players like Van Viet and Xuan Tien, SLNA continues to rely on a philosophy of betting on young talent. The only significant experienced players in SLNA's squad are Khac Ngoc (who is past his prime) and Van Khanh (average), along with some less well-known foreign players.

Đua trụ hạng V-League khốc liệt: HAGL và Thanh Hóa không từ bỏ, cựu vương lâm nguy- Ảnh 3. — SLNA (in yellow jerseys) dropped to 12th place.

Currently leading the Nghe An team is Van Sy Son, who has had a less than stellar coaching career after many years of uncertainty at Quang Nam Club.

Pure youthful energy only brings inconsistency. SLNA can defeat the reigning champions Nam Dinh, then immediately drop in form with six winless matches. Basically, SLNA is no better than it was in previous seasons, so unless many rivals suffer a significant decline, it's highly likely that coach Van Sy Son's team will still be battling to avoid relegation.

Highlights SLNA 0-1 Thanh Hoa: Rimario's stunning volley

Similarly, Da Nang FC, under coach Le Duc Tuan, needs to win to save itself. Last season, the team from the Han River played with great enthusiasm when the "fire reached its breaking point." Once the initial excitement wore off, Da Nang FC reverted to its usual lackluster form.

The sad stories of SLNA, Da Nang FC, and HAGL are a familiar, frustrating, and never-ending saga of former V-League champions.

Time has left these teams far behind. At this point, simply avoiding relegation would be a success; it's difficult to expect them to rekindle the passion in the Central Vietnam stadiums that once blazed with excitement every weekend.

HAGL is back!

Da Nang Club and SLNA are facing difficulties.

Comment (0)