The much-anticipated play-off
The play-off match for the last spot in the V-League next season has yet to determine the participating team. The reason is that both the 13th-ranked team in the V-League and the runner-up in the first division have not been revealed, even though the season is about to enter the final round.
In the V-League, Da Nang FC (22 points) is holding the play-off spot. With 1 point more than the bottom team Binh Dinh (21 points), Da Nang FC is almost certain to defend its play-off position when in the final round, coach Le Duc Tuan and his team only have to face SLNA, a team that has run out of motivation due to being relegated from the previous round.
If they win against SLNA, Da Nang Club will at least rank 13th, and can even take 12th place from Quang Nam to stay in the league if Quang Nam loses at HAGL.
Da Nang Club (white shirt) likely to play play-off
PHOTO: MINH TU
Because of the inferior head-to-head coefficient to Da Nang, Binh Dinh Club must win at all costs and hope Da Nang Club does not win. However, the above possibility is unlikely to happen. Although Binh Dinh Club also meets a team that has run out of goals, it is... runner-up Hanoi . While Hanoi Club has won 8/12 recent matches, Binh Dinh Club has only won 1 out of 17 past matches in the V-League. The huge difference in strength between the two teams makes it difficult for Binh Dinh Club to create a surprise.
Almost certainly, Da Nang FC will play in the play-off. If they make it to this match, the Han River team's opponent will be Binh Phuoc or PVF-CAND.
Similar to the relegation race in V-League, the race for promotion play-off tickets in the first division is "breathless" until the final rounds. Binh Phuoc Club (2nd division) is 1 point ahead of PVF-CAND (3rd division) before the final round.
To ensure a play-off ticket, coach Huynh Quoc Anh and his team must beat Long An. With the right to decide, Binh Phuoc Club will try their best not to miss the opportunity like last season (missing the play-off ticket against PVF-CAND).
Cong Phuong is an important factor of Binh Phuoc
PHOTO: TRUONG TUOI BINH PHUOC
If there are no surprises, the two teams playing in the play-off for a place in the V-League next season will be Da Nang Club (ranked 13th in the V-League) and PVF-CAND (first-class runner-up).
Unpredictable match
In every football league that has a play-off format between the bottom team of the upper division and the top team of the lower division, these matches are always vital, as they can change the future of both participating teams.
In England, Spain, Germany or France, a ticket to the national championship is worth tens of millions of euros. In Vietnam, a ticket to the V-League, although… may not be that expensive, is a necessary condition for teams to build a sustainable development plan.
In the past 10 years, there have been 4 play-off matches held between the 13th-ranked teams of the V-League and the top group of the first division. In turn, Long An (2016), Nam Dinh (2018), Thanh Hoa (2019) and Ha Tinh (2023 - 2024) all won the play-off to secure the right to stay in the league.
The last time a first division team beat a V-League team in a play-off was in the 2014 season, when An Giang (V-League) lost 0-3 to Can Tho (first division). History also shows that V-League teams dominate the play-offs, winning 8/11 matches (72.7%).
However, the first-class teams that lost the last 3 play-off matches such as PVF-CAND, Pho Hien (predecessor of PVF-CAND) or Hanoi B (predecessor of Ha Tinh) all have something in common, which is having young, inexperienced teams, so they were defeated by older, more cunning V-League representatives.
Binh Phuoc Club (blue shirt) holds the right to decide in the race for a play-off spot
PHOTO: TRUONG TUOI BINH PHUOC
However, if Binh Phuoc Club, representing the first division, plays in the play-offs, the wind could change direction. Binh Phuoc Club has a very stable player base, with many national and former national players such as Cong Phuong, Ngoc Duc, Tan Truong, not to mention the faces who used to wear the U.23 Vietnam shirt such as Tuan Tai, Tan Sinh... In terms of battle spirit, even the faces playing for coach Huynh Quoc Anh's team are better than Da Nang Club.
The match between Cong Phuong (Binh Phuoc) and his former teammate Bui Tien Dung (Da Nang) in U.23 Vietnam will be worth watching. Especially when Binh Phuoc Club is ready to invest heavily to reach far not only in the first division, but also in V-League. Meanwhile, Da Nang Club is also eager to stay in the league and is ready to invest again.
Or if PVF-CAND wins the first division runner-up position to enter the play-off, the lessons learned from previous failures will help coach Thach Bao Khanh and his team become more confident before entering the nerve-wracking match.
This year's play-off will be very "hot" for that reason!
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tran-play-off-nong-nhat-sap-lo-dien-cong-phuong-co-the-doi-dau-thu-mon-bui-tien-dung-185250617160221964.htm
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