When will HAGL return to… the good old days?

To be fair, HAGL, under Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh, has very few options in terms of playing style. Their squad isn't abundant, and they no longer have the kind of star players who, with a single moment of brilliance, can change the course of a match like Cong Phuong or Tuan Anh used to.

Because they are the weaker team, HAGL is forced to use the tactics typically employed by weaker teams when facing stronger opponents: maintaining a solid defense, committing numerous minor fouls (as long as they are far from the home team's penalty area), trying to capitalize on set pieces, and attempting to waste time as much as possible.

HAGL (left) was at a disadvantage in terms of possession compared to CAHN Club but still managed to get... 3 points.

In the match between HAGL and CAHN, the referee added a whopping 8 minutes of injury time in the first half and over 12 minutes in the second half. This was so excessive that CAHN coach Mano Polking exclaimed after the match: “In my opinion, HAGL played football in a way that I think is very detrimental to the development of Vietnamese football. I don’t understand why players lay on the ground for 20 or 25 minutes. This disrupted the rhythm of the game. I would never let my players do something like that.”

Highlight HAGL Club 1-0 CAHN Club | Round 7 of V-League 2024-2025

What will we gain from situations like this? Players need to play real football. I used to think we were gradually improving the quality of Vietnamese football, but matches like this are truly embarrassing. They won, I congratulate them, but that's not how we should play. Don't waste time like that. Where will we go with actions like this? Where will Vietnamese football go?”

Coach Polking expressed his dissatisfaction with HAGL's playing style.

Of course, coach Mano Polking and the CAHN players first need to blame themselves. They must blame themselves for allowing the opponent to score first, because CAHN controlled the ball for about 75% of the time, but failed to break through the opponent's defense; their shortcomings are primarily due to their own incompetence.

However, the German-Brazilian coach currently leading CAHN has a point. He's right in that HAGL's recent playing style resembles that of many domestic teams in the 1980s and 90s. That was a time when football was still subsidized, a time when most subsidized teams weren't very concerned about selling tickets or advertising, and therefore weren't keen on maintaining the club's image through their playing style. In other words, HAGL is playing a style from several decades ago, not the fast-paced, high-pressure style that forces opponents into making mistakes in modern football.

With the current squad, it's difficult for HAGL to showcase an attractive style of play.

As mentioned, HAGL currently has very few options due to personnel issues. Being "weak" requires "strategic maneuvering," and HAGL's playing style reflects this. They recognize they are weaker than CAHN and many other teams in the V-League, which is why they chose to completely dismantle the game, accepting all criticism as they just did.

Perhaps for HAGL right now, the result is the most important thing. And the result is that they remain in second place in the standings, just two points behind league leaders Thanh Hoa . For those who are nostalgic for the beautiful style of play of the team from the mountain town, back when HAGL had players like Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Xuan Truong, the past is truly just for… nostalgia!

FPT Play - The only platform broadcasting the entire LPBank V.League 1-2024/25 season, at https://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-bao-gio-cho-den-ngay-xua-18524111201450552.htm