Young General Le Duc Tuan has probably gone gray!

Thanh Hoa Football Club cannot compare to Hanoi FC in terms of the quality of its players. Therefore, while Hanoi FC is considered one of the top contenders for the V-League 2024-2025 championship title, Thanh Hoa is only ranked among the "dark horses" of the league.

However, after the first five rounds of this season's V-League, Thanh Hoa (currently with 10 points) is leading the table, while Hanoi FC is trying to catch up with the Thanh Hoa team. Last season, Hanoi FC was Thanh Hoa's defeated opponent in the National Cup final.

It's true that Thanh Hoa doesn't have as many star players in its squad as Hanoi FC. Coach Velizar Popov's team also lacks depth in terms of personnel; the gap between Thanh Hoa's starting lineup and its reserves is quite large, making it difficult for them to maintain stability in high positions in a long-term race like the V-League. However, in the context of a specific match, when it comes to one-on-one duels, Thanh Hoa is always a formidable opponent.

This formidable force stems from the tenacious fighting spirit of the players wearing the Thanh Hoa team's jersey, and especially from the shrewd tactical skills of the Bulgarian coach Velizar Popov.

Coach Popov was the recipient of the Coach of the Month award for October.

In a context where foreign coaches find it very difficult to establish themselves in domestic leagues in Vietnam, due to the unique characteristics of Vietnamese football compared to other football nations globally, Mr. Popov has still been able to stay in the V-League for many seasons, achieving concrete results with two National Cups in two consecutive seasons, 2023 and 2023-2024, proving that the Bulgarian coach has his own "strategy".

Coach Popov can be incredibly hot-tempered at times, ready to get into arguments with referees and opponents, but at other times he ignores everything as if nothing is important to him. This makes Coach Popov even more unpredictable.

Popov is unpredictable, so it's unclear how the Thanh Hoa team under his leadership will play. Will they launch a fierce attack or will they quietly wait for their opponents to make mistakes before counter-attacking?

Decoding coach Velizar Popov is no easy task for domestic experts, and it's even more challenging for young coach Le Duc Tuan of Hanoi FC. Compared to his Bulgarian counterpart who is currently coaching Thanh Hoa, coach Le Duc Tuan is calmer and more composed.

Can coach Le Duc Tuan defeat coach Popov?

This young coach is also in the process of proving his abilities. Thankfully, his initial performance hasn't been too bad, as Hanoi FC currently sits in the upper half of the V-League standings, essentially only 2 points behind league leaders Thanh Hoa.

Coach Duc Tuan will likely send his troops on the offensive against Thanh Hoa, despite Hanoi FC having to play away in Round 6 of the V-League. The crucial factor in the capital team's attacking style is how Hanoi FC will deploy their tactics and how their star players perform.

Perhaps the youth and confidence of coach Le Duc Tuan will be a factor that coach Popov should be wary of. Coach Popov is used to facing many experienced coaches and usually takes fewer risks when facing Thanh Hoa, allowing him enough time to figure out how to counter his opponent. Now, if coach Le Duc Tuan accepts the risk, that might be the factor that makes the difference!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-dau-hlv-da-muu-tuc-tri-popov-tuong-tre-le-duc-tuan-co-le-bac-ca-toc-185241101130406675.htm