V-League 2025/26: 'The ship sinks at the harbor'

03/11/2025 10:00:00 SportScoop

HAGL failed to retain the full 3 points against Nam Định at their home stadium in Pleiku; even worse was SHB Đà Nẵng, whose opponent was only SLNA at Hòa Xuân. Then yesterday afternoon (November 2), Thanh Hóa also ended up empty-handed against Thể Công Viettel in a match where the Thanh Hóa side urgently needed points to advance.

In the previous round, Thanh Hóa unexpectedly secured a 1-0 victory away at SLNA. The former Khu IV derby was rather uneventful, and the defeat of coach Văn Sỹ Sơn’s team pushed the club into a tough situation.

However, SLNA remains a tough team with an unyielding spirit. For decades, SLNA has never been relegated from Vietnam’s top division, and there’s a reason for that. Earning a point at Hòa Xuân against a well-organized team like SHB Đà Nẵng is already a success.

In reality, coach Văn Sỹ Sơn is quite familiar with the Hòa Xuân pitch after years working with Quảng Nam, who chose this stadium as their home ground. This understanding of the opponent helped SLNA gain a point in the recent match. A season ago, refereeing mistakes deprived Quảng Nam, led by coach Văn Sỹ Sơn, of a victory. That was a harsh lesson. But Quảng Nam still existed until its dissolution.

Thanh Hóa’s difficult situation remains unchanged after losing at home to Thể Công Viettel. Photo: VPF

Returning to the events of the 9th round of the 2025/2026 V-League, Thanh Hóa had an advantage over many relegation rivals by playing last. Yet exhaustion and, importantly, wavering morale caused the team to be inconsistent.

Actually, Thanh Hóa’s defeat to Thể Công Viettel, coached by Popov who has been involved with Thanh Hóa football for many years, is understandable. No one understands Thanh Hóa’s playing style better than the Bulgarian head coach. This match, like the one against Ninh Bình when they were down a player and trailing in the first half, highlighted Popov’s excellent tactical adjustments.

Immediately after the 2-1 victory over SHB Đà Nẵng, a comeback at Hàng Đẫy in round 7, Popov stated that to win the V-League, a team needs more than just technical skills. This is not a new idea, but it is true.

The ship sinking at the harbor is unfortunate. But times change. Even a highly ambitious club like Hà Nội FC struggles to reclaim its former glory. Last round, the former champions lost again to Hà Tĩnh after previously beating Bình Dương, which seemed like a revival.

Thanh Hóa has dropped back to the second-to-last position on the table with 7 points, the same as HAGL. These two are the main relegation candidates, as predicted by Thể thao & Văn hóa before the 2025/2026 season began. Only when the curtain closes will the outcome be clear.

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