Song Lam Nghe An youth team and the race at V-League 2024/2025

With such a young force and "average" foreign players, of course the path to relegation as the goal is set is extremely difficult. The Vinh Stadium team had to sweat in the last match to escape the play-off last season and after 5 rounds this season still do not know what victory is, speaking of the cruel reality of a team with a rich tradition but currently cannot keep up with the pace of professional football today.

The question is why, in reality, the way of doing youth football was successful with Hoang Anh Gia Lai, with SHB Da Nang but did not bring immediate success to the above training centers when operating the team in V-League? Even a generation of talented players from Hoang Anh Gia Lai progressed, matured, contributed to U23 Vietnam, to the Vietnam National Team under Mr. Park Hang-seo, but in V-League, they only "spent their youth worrying about relegation". Then they had to leave, find other teams to seek titles for themselves such as Van Toan, Hong Duy, Tuan Anh... to Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, Van Thanh to Cong An Ha Noi... Or the famous young generation of Da Nang such as Duy Cuong, Phi Hoang, Dinh Duy even went from V-League 1 to play in V-League 2 and are now struggling with "every match is a final" in V-League 1 like the young team themselves.Lam River Nghe Anin 2 seasons was entrusted with the responsibility of shouldering this difficult task.

With Song Lam Nghe An, when the captain's armband was given to foreign player Olaha or later goalkeeper Van Viet, it showed that the tradition of star players leading the team had... disappeared. Even though Olaha is a good player, plays enthusiastically and devotedly, is that the image of a senior player who knows how to lead his juniors to progress as the basic desire of a weak team? And when Van Viet wears the captain's armband, can he manage the whole team, command the lines to operate smoothly, although in reality there are many goalkeepers who shoulder this task well. Looking back, perhaps it is only worth talking about young player Quang Vinh, who "opened" the goal of the youth team this season in round 5, a player who improves every day, is trusted through each match, and is very likely the most worth-watching young player of the Vinh team? A large but fluctuating midfield with Xuan Tien, Ba Quyen, Ngoc Tu, Xuan Binh, Manh Quynh, Nam Hai... and no one has guaranteed a regular starting position like Quang Vinh from last season until now. Injuries and penalty cards have made the hopes in the defense like Nguyen Hoang, Van Thanh, Khac Luong, Thanh Duc... always face difficulties every time they enter the match. What they showed with the lack of breath and weakness in the match of round 4 againstNam Dinh Green Steel(1-4) further shows that "smartness does not come to children" in V-League and their training process will still go through countless hardships, and failure is inevitable.

Of course, not everywhere and not every time a young, inexperienced team fails miserably, if we look at the world. Barcelona's La Masia youth team just "pounded" 4 goals to nil against arch-rival Real Madrid in the El Clasico match of round 8 of La Liga, before that defeated Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League are examples that no one who loves top football does not know, does not admire, and admire. That famous team after Messi's time is lost in a matrix of shortages, having to use many young players who are self-trained, have low salaries but play extremely well, making the whole football world admire and look up to 17, 18 year old names like Yamal, Casado, Pedrola... Of course, that team has big stars like Rafinha, Lewandowski leading the juniors in every step, every ball. Of course, German coach Hansi Flick is someone who knows how to revive the Barcelona brand from the crisis as we know it...

It is impossible to compare lowland football with world football, but good lessons are always necessary anywhere. After inevitable stumbles and hardships, the young team of Song Lam Nghe An seems to be becoming as strong as desired, at least what they showed in round 5 at Quy Nhon Stadium recently. The lesson is the same everywhere: let them practice and compete in the most exciting and sublime way, then goals and victories will come. How to make each young element realize that hard work is a measure, a duty, then class, then experience will accompany. Young star Long Vu may not have scored yet, but he had an assist in the match at Thien Truong Stadium and needs to know how to overcome if he unfortunately makes a mistake in a certain situation like at Quy Nhon Stadium recently. Thanh Duc is only 18 years old and the fact that he cannot keep up with the foreign striker at Thien Truong Stadium further urges his will to rise up when the road ahead is still long...

Striving to successfully stay in the league is the goal of the whole team and each young player of Song Lam Nghe An this season. Remember, if things do not go in the right direction, all the losses and disadvantages of each player will be multiplied, prolonged and will be the "breakdown" of not only one group of players, one generation of players./.