Strange V-League: Champion competes with HAGL to stay in the league, not sure who is better

The 2-2 draw at HAGL marked a crisis at Nam Dinh Club, as the defending champion fell to 8th place.

Nam Dinh Club goes backwards after draw with HAGL

Nam Dinh Club dropped the victory after a 2-2 draw with HAGL in round 9 of V-League, which took place yesterday afternoon (October 31).

Marlos Brenner's double could not help the defending champion conquer the "fire pot" Pleiku. HAGL's strong resistance against the wall, combined with declining physical strength, caused Nam Dinh Club to lose their way.

Nam Dinh Club (white shirt) could not get 3 points to leave Pleiku

PHOTO: MINH TRAN

After 9 matches, Nguyen Manh and his teammates have 9 points (2 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses), ranking 8th. In the last 6 matches, Nam Dinh FC has not won. Only HAGL and Thanh Hoa , candidates for relegation, have had a longer streak of draws and losses than Nam Dinh this season.

The difficulties were predicted in advance, when Nam Dinh Club was stretched to compete in 4 arenas this season (V-League, National Cup, AFC Champions League, ASEAN Club Championship). Former coach Vu Hong Viet (now holding the position of technical director) once affirmed that he was not sure that Nam Dinh's force was strong enough to meet the intensity of continuous travel and competition, with almost no breaks. The Nam Dinh team has played 6 more matches than the V-League teams since the beginning of the tournament.

However, the long slide of Nam Dinh FC still surprised many people. The team at Thien Truong Stadium still kept the squad that won the V-League for 2 consecutive years (except for Xuan Son's injury).

This season, Nam Dinh has added more foreign players, bringing the total number of "Westerners" to 13. Although in V-League, Nam Dinh Club is only allowed to register 4 foreign players (3 foreign players on the field at the same time), but clearly, the large number of "Westerners" allows the team to freely choose, instead of having to cut their coat according to their cloth like many other teams.

But, we need to ask: why, despite playing as many tournaments as Nam Dinh, Hanoi Police Club (CAHN Club) is still in second place?

The reason lies in the core philosophy. After 2 years of training, Mr. Alexandre Polking has shaped the "skeleton" for CAHN Club, with a foundation of control, methodical operation, and smooth passing between the lines, so that despite the change of force and the addition of many new players, CAHN Club still plays smoothly.

Playing philosophy is the key to any team's stability. Nam Dinh FC once defined their playing style, but are gradually losing their identity, as key players fluctuate (injured or losing form), and new players have yet to adapt.

Nam Dinh Club (white shirt) is capable of returning, but needs to stabilize their spirit.

PHOTO: MINH TRAN

The current Thien Truong team is like a picture made up of mismatched, patchwork and mismatched pieces. Foreign players like Percy Tau, Lucas Alves, Kyle Hudlin are in a state of "each playing on their own", lacking cohesion and enthusiasm.

In a crisis, the role of the head coach needs to be emphasized. However, Mr. Vu Hong Viet has left the position, and the new coach Nguyen Trung Kien has no experience in V-League. In fact, Mr. Vu Hong Viet, as the technical director, may still manage the team.

Don't be subjective.

Although only 3 points above the bottom of the table, the prospect of relegation seems unlikely for Nam Dinh FC. The team from the Southern region still has plenty of strength and experience. Nam Dinh's return is just a matter of time.

But remember, this season V-League has no weak teams. Nam Dinh FC understands that well, having been held to a draw by Da Nang and HAGL, or previously losing at SLNA. Even the bottom teams are ready to take points from the reigning champions.

Force plays an important role, but spirit is the key to survival. HAGL, Da Nang, SLNA, Thanh Hoa... all played enthusiastically in the last rounds. For the candidates for relegation, each match is a matter of life and death.

Nam Dinh FC needs to return soon before it is too late. However, how to return when preparing to enter a difficult stage (against Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh and The Cong Viettel), not to mention having to play 6 more group stage matches in AFC Champions League 2 and ASEAN Club Championship, is the problem that coach Trung Kien and his students must find a solution to.

If they cannot overcome the "tough waves" ahead, Nam Dinh Club will sink deeper.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-la-v-league-nha-vo-dich-dua-tru-hang-voi-hagl-chua-biet-ai-hon-ai-18525110110205621.htm