Bui Vi Hao (Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, top) during the loss to Hanoi Police in the penultimate round - Photo: VPF
If that happens, it would be a painful blow for Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC in their first season after changing their name. This is because, when they were still called Becamex Binh Duong, the team was a powerhouse of Vietnamese football, winning four V-League championships.
Clinging to hope
Up until round 16, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC had never been considered a relegation candidate. However, a nine-match winless streak (six losses and three draws), and most recently a 1-2 defeat against Hanoi Police FC in the penultimate round, has sent Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC tumbling to the bottom of the table, facing the prospect of relegation.
Despite having the same 21 points after 25 matches asSHB Da Nang and PVF-CAND, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City cannot control its own destiny in the final round. V-League regulations determine the ranking based on head-to-head records between teams. Based on the two-legged head-to-head record between the three teams this season, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City is in last place despite having a better goal difference than PVF-CAND.
Therefore, even if Becamex Ho Chi Minh City defeats Hoang Anh Gia Lai at home on June 7th, they will still be relegated if SHB Da Nang and PVF-CAND both win their matches at the same time. This is something that neither Becamex Ho Chi Minh City nor former Binh Duong fans probably ever considered when this season started, or even in the team's history. In the 2023 season, even when facing the risk of relegation before the final round, Becamex Binh Duong successfully avoided relegation after drawing 0-0 with Ho Chi Minh City FC at Thong Nhat Stadium.
Coach Hua Hien Vinh and his team will naturally have to "fight to the last drop" to cling to hope, but not many Binh Duong fans believe their team will avoid relegation.
Confused by the direction of development.
Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC was once considered the "Chelsea of Vietnam". Without sparing any expense like the English giants, they brought in a host of stars to conquer titles. Their four V-League championships in 2007, 2008, 2014, and 2015 were a record in Vietnamese football before being broken by Hanoi FC with their current six championships.
However, since their last V-League championship in 2015, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC has gradually declined. The team changed its transfer policy, no longer spending lavishly on expensive domestic and foreign players, but prioritizing the use of young players from their own academy. Unfortunately, these young players are not yet capable of carrying the team. Notably, even after changing their approach and acquiring quality players in the last two seasons, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC still struggles to avoid relegation, despite reaching the top two positions at times during the season.
The main reason is instability on the coaching bench. Since 2015, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC has changed coaches no fewer than 15 times, especially this season with 4 coaches. Rarely does any team in Vietnam change coaches so frequently! These include most of the well-known and experienced coaches such as Tran Binh Su, Tran Minh Chien, Phan Thanh Hung, Dang Tran Chinh, Lu Dinh Tuan, Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Le Huynh Duc, Hoang Anh Tuan...
Coach Le Huynh Duc previously spent many years leading Becamex Binh Duong Club, now Becamex Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: TTO
Relegation isn't something to be afraid of.
The constant changes in coaches have left Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC's playing style disjointed and lacking a clear tactical approach. And when the team faces a crisis, the club's management chooses to replace the coach mid-season instead of continuing to place their trust in him. Coach Hua Hien Vinh, currently coaching the U15 team, was promoted to replace Coach Ueno Nobuhiro (Japan) from round 23 onwards, and has since lost three consecutive matches.
For many Binh Duong fans, the most frightening thing right now isn't their team being relegated. For them, the most frightening thing is that after all the lessons learned, the team remains unchanged, still maintaining the same directionless and uninspired approach to football for over 10 years.
Therefore, relegation might actually be an opportunity for a complete restructuring, from the leadership to the club's development direction. A major overhaul is sometimes more necessary than trying to barely survive through each season.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/v-league-2025-2026-neu-becamex-tp-hcm-rot-hang-20260602000721699.htm
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