HAGL is racing hard against the relegation zone, with a dramatic schedule right after Tet.

Vietnamese football has entered its Lunar New Year break, but some teams dare not rest, especially those at the bottom of the table. HAGL and other teams battling to avoid relegation are racing against time to avoid falling behind.

HAGL and its rivals are racing against time.

Compared to the teams at the top of the table, the squads at the bottom are noticeably thinner. Therefore, the need for reinforcements is very high for these teams. HAGL is one of the most active teams in recruiting new players in recent days. Before round 13 of the V-League, HAGL added foreign striker Junior Batista. In addition, HAGL promoted young midfielder Le Huy Kiet from the youth team to the first team . These players promise to contribute more to the team in the second half of the 2025-2026 V-League season.

HAGL's new striker Junior Batista

Photo: HAGL Club

In particular, with the addition of striker Junior Batista, HAGL made no secret of their intention to strengthen their attack and boost their offensive power. In the first half of the season, HAGL only impressed with their defensive capabilities, thanks to the excellent performance of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and the 1.95m tall center-back Dinh Quang Kiet. Meanwhile, their attacking line was still considered "thin" in terms of personnel; the pressure they created was not strong enough to force opponents to make mistakes or leave gaps for HAGL to exploit.

After the Lunar New Year, with the addition of the foreign trio Marciel, Conceicao, and Junior Batista, HAGL's attack may perform better, control the ball more effectively, and thus increase their ability to penetrate the opponent's defense. The team from the mountainous region hopes that after strengthening their attack, their formation will be more balanced between offense and defense, making them harder to predict.

The team from the mountain town promises to play a better attacking game in the future.

Photo: HAGL Club

HAGL FC's final training session of the year concluded on the morning of February 13th, which is the 26th day of the 12th lunar month of the Year of the Snake. The team from the mountainous region will soon return to training after Tet to prepare for Round 14, against Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) at Hang Day Stadium on February 28th.

Shorten the Lunar New Year holiday.

For Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa, their matches will be even earlier. These two teams have rescheduled matches from V-League Round 10 on February 24th (the 8th day of the Lunar New Year): Thanh Hoa will play against CAHN FC at Thanh Hoa Stadium, while Nam Dinh will travel to face The Cong Viettel FC at Hang Day Stadium.

Nam Dinh FC wants to boost the team's morale during the Tet holiday break.

Photo: Nam Dinh Club

With their matches starting earlier, the Thanh Hoa and Nam Dinh players will resume training sooner after their short Tet holiday break. Thanh Hoa currently has 12 points, 2 points behind HAGL, placing them 11th in the standings. They are 7 points ahead of bottom-placed Da Nang. Nam Dinh also has 12 points, ranking 10th, just one place above Thanh Hoa.

Among the teams in the relegation zone are two former V-League champions: SLNA and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City. SLNA has 13 points, ranking 9th, while Becamex Ho Chi Minh City has 12 points, placing them 12th. These teams are trying to boost their players' morale in different ways.

Becamex Ho Chi Minh City wants its players to recover psychologically after their 1-2 defeat against PVF-CAND in round 13. As for SLNA, coach Van Sy Son wants his players from Nghe An to regain their confidence after their 4-1 victory against The Cong Viettel in round 13. Coach Son stated: "The later stages of the season will be very difficult. Each team must strategize. We are no different; SLNA needs to continue maintaining our spirit and focus in every match."

Maintaining focus, avoiding excessive partying during the Lunar New Year holidays, and being ready to return with renewed enthusiasm after the break are the goals teams should aim for during this period. Sometimes, the success or failure of each team, and whether they can maintain their ranking in the later stages of the league, will depend on how well the lower-ranked teams maintain their form and fitness during the holidays. Any lapse in concentration could lead to an irreversible decline, as the post-holiday period is often a pivotal stage in the entire season.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-chay-dua-cat-luc-cung-nhom-cam-den-do-lich-thi-dau-kich-tinh-ngay-sau-tet-185260215003655437.htm