In a 'reverse final', PVF CAND coach fears his team is about to be relegated

Coach Tran Tien Dai acknowledges that PVF CAND's relegation survival opportunities are now scarce following the defeat against Thanh Hoa.

Coach Tran Tien Dai could not hide his disappointment after PVF-CAND's defeat to Thanh Hoa Club in what was essentially a "reverse final" in the relegation battle of V.League 2026. This result puts his team in an extremely difficult situation as the gap with the safe zone continues to widen.

At the start of the press conference, Mr. Dai admitted this was a regrettable loss as his players fought with great determination but failed to convert opportunities into goals. According to him, Thanh Hoa is a very disciplined team that knows how to protect its advantage under pressure from PVF-CAND.

“The players tried very hard, they played with the highest possible determination. We also had opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on them. Thanh Hoa’s defense played very fiercely and tightly,” Coach Tran Tien Dai shared after the match.

This tactician also assessed that PVF-CAND’s gameplay was disrupted by the opponent’s highly effective imposition of the match tempo. Thanh Hoa pressed strongly, sealed off both flanks, and effectively blocked the midfield, preventing the visiting team from developing play as intended. Consequently, attacking plans also became deadlocked.

Additionally, the absence of several key players, especially midfielder Xuan Bac, significantly impacted the team’s control of the match. Mr. Dai stated that Xuan Bac needs about 10 days of rest as prescribed by the doctor. The absence of this player considerably reduced PVF-CAND’s ability to control the midfield area and provide creative passes to the forward line.

Even though relegation survival opportunities are gradually drying up, Coach Tran Tien Dai still affirmed that the whole team must quickly forget the defeat and focus on the next home match. He emphasized that the sole goal now is to secure all 3 points to continue chasing and maintain hope of staying in V.League next season.

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