Paradox of Hung Vuong Volleyball Cup

Without striker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy while the force has too many fluctuations, it is not surprising that the national 3rd team VTV Binh Dien Long An only won against 2 weak opponents, Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Phu Thanh Hoa, ranking third in Group B after round 1. This also means that the Southwest team lost the right to participate in the Hung Vuong Cup 2023, where they are the reigning women's champion 2021 (an annual tournament for 4 men's teams, 4 women's teams with the best rankings in round 1 of the National Championship) and also hold the record for the team with the most championships since 2004 (5 times).

VTV Binh Dien Long An team (left) became the former champion of Hung Vuong Cup. Photo: NGOC TUAN

This outcome was predicted when VTV Binh Dien Long An had to continuously change the head coach's "seat" recently for objective reasons, the main squad had to be strengthened with many young faces with too little playing experience. The journey to rejuvenate the force may last for about 1-2 seasons, so VTV Binh Dien Long An does not expect to get the desired results right in the second half of the 2023 season, when they can strengthen foreign players according to the tournament's regulations.

The same is true of Geleximco Thai Binh, the Vietnamese women's champion last season, but only surpassed two teams Kinh Bac Bac Ninh and the Bank of Industry and Trade, ranking 3rd in Group A with 4 points. The "fairy tale" of last season cannot be repeated and the Northern women's team now has to worry about relegation just one year after winning the title. The young team did not have time to replace their seniors, and instead chased after achievements by spending a lot of money to hire "huge" foreign players, everything will go back to the way it was when the investment level is no longer commensurate with the ambition.

The lackluster women's teams are no better than the men's tournament, with the focus on relegation seemingly overshadowing the Hung Vuong Cup ambitions of many teams. Having won the bronze medal last season, Hanoi's men's team's performance has been incomprehensible, losing all 3 games to newcomer Da Nang and even losing the extra coefficient to Ha Tinh to finish fourth in Group A with 6 points.

In Group B, the reigning national champion of the 2022 season, Ninh Binh LienVietPostBank, "unexpectedly" lost to both military teams, Border Guard and The Cong. Of course, the final ranking was also behind these two opponents. Fans seemed to sympathize with the Hoa Lu ancient capital team after the shock of losing the right to participate in the Asian Cup, but experts pointed out the tactical calculations of Vietnam's number 1 team.

According to the pre-drawn code, Ninh Binh LienVietPostBank ranked 3rd in Group B will be "moved" to Group C in the second round, where they are more than capable of securing second place in the group as well as passing the semi-final match of the entire tournament with the mentality of a strong team, not afraid of any candidate. The opportunity to defend the championship in the 2022 season is therefore also open to the team of Coach Bui Trung Thao.

Not as "lucky" as Ninh Binh LienVietPostBank, Hanoi's long-term calculations are different from reality. Having to move to Group C round 2, the capital's men's team now has to worry about competing with the defending champion Ninh Binh LienVietPostBank, while also having to exert all their strength to confront the rising team Bien Phong. Failing to make it into the top 2 positions, the possibility that Hanoi will have to meet Sanest Khanh Hoa in the cross-match is extremely high, and it is impossible to hope to keep the bronze medal set.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao/nghich-ly-cup-bong-chuyen-hung-vuong-20230321210257416.htm