After the rain, will the sun shine again?

HAGL is still unable to control its mentality.

"HAGL studied Binh Duong's playing style and had a solid approach, but after making mistakes, their mentality became apparent. HAGL has some young players who lack the experience to calmly control their emotions in tense matches," coach Le Quang Trai shared after HAGL's 1-4 defeat against Binh Duong in round 6 of the LPBank V-League 2024-2025.

Initially, HAGL aimed to secure a point at Go Dau Stadium, a "tough ground" where the coaching staff acknowledged it would be difficult to come away with three points. Binh Duong FC was unbeaten in 8 of their last 10 home matches, scoring three or more goals in 5 of those games. Conversely, HAGL only won 2 of their last 7 away matches. From the start of the season, the team led by technical director Vu Tien Thanh determined that Pleiku Stadium was where HAGL would seek victory, while away matches, one point was the primary objective.

HAGL suffered a heavy defeat against Binh Duong Club.

Therefore, the dream start at Go Dau Stadium with Pham Ly Duc's opening goal, followed by two consecutive defensive errors in the first half that allowed Nguyen Tien Linh to score, pushed HAGL to the brink of emotional turmoil. The team from the mountain town started with great enthusiasm, but when that enthusiasm was extinguished when Binh Duong FC turned the tables, HAGL lost control of the game.

Before the match against Binh Duong FC, HAGL had been undefeated in 5 V-League matches, conceding only 1 goal. However, ultimately, this is still a team lacking experience. Both teams are young (Binh Duong also has young stars like Bui Vi Hao and Vo Hoang Minh Khoa), but HAGL is more inexperienced due to many players lacking experience in the V-League as well as international competitions. With a team operating on a youthful foundation, fragility and a lack of psychological control when pushed into unfavorable situations are inevitable.

Last season, HAGL suffered heavy defeats against Hanoi Police FC (0-5) and Ho Chi Minh City FC (1-4), following the same pattern as their loss in Binh Duong: a decent start, but a quick collapse when facing a disadvantage in terms of gameplay. Indeed, HAGL matured during the time when coaches Vu Tien Thanh and Le Quang Trai took turns coaching, thanks to changes in their playing philosophy and improved fighting spirit. However, a team cannot completely transform itself in just one year.

HAGL lost their momentum despite taking the lead.

There are still faint traces of the "remnants" of the past that HAGL needs to learn from (even if painful) experiences to improve. The defeat against Binh Duong FC is a cold shower that will test the true character of the team from the mountain town. Going unbeaten for 5 matches is difficult, but bouncing back after a defeat is even harder.

Once the initial excitement wears off, what will HAGL have left? The upcoming matches will provide the answer.

Question mark of force

To compete in the V-League, teams cannot rely solely on their starting lineup; they also need a quality reserve squad. With these "trump cards," the head coach can both turn the tide of the game and strategically rotate the squad for the long haul.

That's an advantage Binh Duong FC has, but HAGL doesn't. In the match at Go Dau Stadium, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his players won 4-1, with Nguyen Hai Huy and Nghiem Xuan Tu still on the bench, not to mention foreign player Janclesio and young defender Vo Minh Trong, all of whom are quality players ready to come on depending on the match situation.

Conversely, what does HAGL have besides players like Ho Minh Quyen, Nguyen Huu Anh Tai, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Van Trieu, and Le Huu Phuoc, all of whom are unfamiliar to the majority of V-League fans?

The gap between the starting lineup and the reserves at HAGL is not small.

With a very thin squad, HAGL will be in a state of disarray if "Plan A" falls apart. This is a reality the Pleiku-based team anticipated from the beginning of the season. When their key players left two years ago, the limited transfer budget prevented HAGL from bringing in star replacements. The team had to rely on its own youth academy players and unknown foreign players.

Therefore, the early season euphoria did not cause HAGL to deviate from the objective set by Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh: to secure survival in the league first, then think about the rest.

HAGL needs time to answer the question "after the rain, will the sun shine?". With a meticulous plan and a mindset ready to accept setbacks, hopefully, Chairman Duc's team will find a way to overcome them.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-sau-con-mua-troi-co-sang-185241104174153084.htm