IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE DIFFICULT OR EASY?
After a shaky start to the season under coach Le Duc Tuan and interim coach Hoang Van Phuc, Hanoi FC once again had to call upon a foreign strategist. Makoto Teguramori was appointed on a short-term contract (initially lasting half a season), but the former Japan U23 coach still set ambitious goals of returning to the championship race.
Hanoi FC (left) lost to HAGL in the first leg.
Coach Teguramori's confidence stems from two reasons. Firstly, Hanoi FC still possesses a strong core of domestic players, along with a completely revamped foreign squad. Secondly, while the capital city team is known for its strong performances in the second half of the season, title rivals like Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, and The Cong Viettel are currently unstable and haven't created a significant gap with Hanoi FC's fourth-place position.
In other words, Hanoi FC's biggest opponent is themselves. If they can rediscover their true selves, Van Quyet and his teammates will rise again. The capital city team needs a progressive coach like Teguramori to do that, as their policy of relying on homegrown coaches has failed.
One of the crucial matches that led to coach Le Duc Tuan's dismissal was the 0-1 defeat against HAGL in the first leg. This wasn't just a defeat. Remember, for the past 12 years, Hanoi FC had always won against HAGL at Hang Day Stadium, even winning convincingly (5-0 in V-League 2018). But in their most recent encounter, the six-time V-League champions were defeated by a HAGL team that wasn't particularly outstanding in terms of personnel or playing style. Hanoi FC not only lost, but also lost the prestige and identity they had painstakingly built over nearly 20 years. This lackluster performance stems from the inexperience of young coach Le Duc Tuan, the decline of the squad due to the aging of key players, and the questionable direction (10 coaching changes in 5 years) of the team's leadership.
Therefore, the fact that coach Teguramori will face HAGL in his debut match seems like a twist of fate. It's difficult to expect a dramatic turnaround from a Japanese coach after only two or three days in charge, and Hanoi FC still has a long way to go to make a comeback.
HAGL IS UNDEFEATED AT HOME
The challenge Hanoi FC needs to solve in V-League Round 14 is that HAGL has been undefeated in 6 matches since the start of the season (2 wins, 4 draws) at Pleiku Stadium. HAGL doesn't perform well against teams in the lower half of the table, but is doing well against stronger clubs. Coach Le Quang Trai's team has won against Hanoi FC and Hanoi Police FC (both with a 1-0 score), and drawn against Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa .
This result stems from the defensive counter-attacking style of play, characterized by tight pressing, pressing, and quick build-up play, which Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh has been honing in his players since last season. With their current squad, HAGL lacks the strength to dominate even against weaker teams; instead, the team from the mountain town can only adapt to their opponents' style of play to exploit mistakes. The stronger the opponent, the more opportunities HAGL has to pursue their signature counter-attacking style.
However, the necessary conditions are that HAGL must have good stamina, maintain defensive discipline, and be resilient enough to wait for the right opportunity. The battle of wits between Coach Vu Tien Thanh and his opponent Makoto Teguramori will be very interesting to watch!
The Cong Viettel rises to the top of the table.
In the rescheduled match of Round 11 of the V-League 2024-2025, held last night, February 19th, Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) lost to The Cong Viettel FC with a score of 1-2 at My Dinh Stadium. This was a comprehensive defeat for CAHN, as they only created a few clear scoring opportunities throughout the match.
Conversely, the The Cong Viettel players had a very good game, constantly creating dangerous opportunities towards the opponent's goal. From a situation where they were pressing the CAHN goal in the 20th minute, defender Truong Tien Anh joined the attack and unleashed a powerful shot to open the scoring for The Cong Viettel. In the second half, the home team played defensively and counter-attacked, extending their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Amarildo in the 67th minute. CAHN tried to fight back and scored a goal to make it 1-2 in the 83rd minute through Alan. With this result, The Cong Viettel moved to the top of the table with 25 points, while CAHN Club remained in 7th place with 17 points.
In a match played on the same day, Quang Nam FC impressively defeated Thanh Hoa 1-0 at Tam Ky Stadium. This was a rather unusual match as the coaches of both teams, Van Sy Son (Quang Nam) and Popov (Thanh Hoa), were absent from the sidelines due to being banned from coaching for reacting excessively to the referee. With this victory, Quang Nam FC rose to 9th place with 15 points, while Thanh Hoa remained in 2nd place with 23 points.
Phuong Quynh
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dau-tri-cam-go-giua-ong-vu-tien-thanh-va-hlv-nhat-ban-hagl-thang-noi-ha-noi-185250219222530112.htm
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