The paradox of HAGL's player export

HAGL just defeated Thanh Hoa Club thanks to goals from two young talents Gia Bao and Hoang Minh, who are expected to leave the mountain town to fly higher.

Du Hoc was called up to the Vietnam national team by coach Kim Sang-sik.

Photo: Minh Tu

Important victory of HAGL

Defeating the Thanh Hoa home team helped HAGL enter the round of 16 in the 2025-2026 National Cup. More importantly, the victory and the first goals of coach Le Quang Trai and his team this season will help HAGL be more confident for the upcoming difficult V-League journey.

After 3 rounds, HAGL has only 1 point and received 2 defeats. In total, the mountain town team has received 4 goals but still cannot score any goals in V-League 2025 - 2026, ranking second to last in the table.

Having their first win will help HAGL be more confident for their trip to PVF-CAND's home field, a rookie team that is currently ranked mid-table with 3 points but has played very well, only losing due to bad luck against Hai Phong and Nam Dinh clubs.

Trung Kien still plays well, but has conceded four goals this season.

Photo: Minh Tu

Another good news is that V-League 2025-2026 will reduce the relegation slot to 1.5, which means that if HAGL finishes second to last, they will still have a chance to stay in the league through a play-off match with the second-placed team in the national first division.

However, HAGL still faces a huge challenge in the season of investing in a new generation of young players with the starting lineup all born from 2000 onwards such as Quang Kiet, Hoang Minh, Gia Bao, Trung Kien, Du Hoc, Vinh Nguyen...

The fact that the young names Gia Bao and Hoang Minh have both scored will help reduce a lot of pressure for coach Le Quang Trai, although the more the "rising stars" of HAGL shine, the closer the day they leave.

HAGL: Player export center

HAGL has never celebrated a goal in V-League 2025 - 2026

Photo: Minh Tu

There was a time when SLNA was known as the leading export center of Vietnam when Nghe An stars flooded the most ambitious football teams such as Hanoi Club, Binh Duong and even HAGL when Mr. Duc was still free to spend money to create the Dream Team that won everywhere.

But at this point, that title will have to be given to HAGL with Van Toan, Tuan Anh, Hong Duy at Nam Dinh Club; Bao Toan, Ngoc Quang, Thanh Binh, Quoc Viet... at Ninh Binh FC or Minh Vuong Xuan Truong, Cong Phuong, Minh Vuong, Van Son... at Truong Tuoi Dong Nai.

In addition to distributing troops to ambitious teams, HAGL also "deposits young players" in first-class teams such as Quy Nhon FC, Thanh Nien TP.HCM or previously Long An Club, considering this a playground for young talents to have the opportunity to take the field to test themselves, hone their skills and mature.

Young HAGL players strive to perform to be "exported" to big teams.

Minh Tu

In fact, the players of HAGL when leaving all played very well, helping Nam Dinh Club win the V-League championship for 2 consecutive years while Ninh Binh FC is flying high at the top of the V-League with 3 wins in a row, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai defeated Becamex TP.HCM with 1 goal, 1 assist by Minh Vuong.

On the contrary, HAGL at this time - precisely in the past few years - still has to get used to being stuck at the bottom of the table, caught up in breathless relegation races.

HAGL fans therefore have mixed feelings, happy to see young talents regularly stepping into the light and maturing quickly, but saddened that the mountain town team can no longer maintain its position as a conqueror, becoming a mid-range team with the role of providing young talents for other big teams.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghich-ly-xuat-khau-cau-thu-cua-hagl-185250916170111.htm