Hoang Anh Gia Lai - from the peak to the relegation battle

(Baonghean) - Playing brilliantly and achieving many successes in several domestic and international youth tournaments, the young players of the HAGL-JMG Academy have become a unique phenomenon in Vietnamese football.

Any match featuring HAGL players would see crowds jostling for tickets, hoping to catch the eye of "prodigies" like Cong Phuong, Xuan Toan, and Tuan Anh in action. Given the immense popularity and glowing praise from some experts, Chairman Duc decided to take a big gamble by disbanding the entire first team from the 2014 V.League and promoting the U19 players to the 2015 V.League. "Shocking," "bold," and "breakthrough" are the words often used to describe this decision by Chairman Duc.

There are many conflicting opinions regarding Chairman Duc's decision to "force" the development of this generation of players; many praise it, but many also oppose it. It seems that in the first few rounds, Chairman Duc's decision was very wise, as the young HAGL players performed quite well and attracted packed stadiums wherever they went. However, as time went on, players like Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Xuan Toan were increasingly figured out and neutralized by opponents. From being a rising star in the V.League for using young players, HAGL became a "points bank," the easiest opponent to bully in the V.League. As a consequence, after 16 rounds, HAGL players only have a meager 10 points and are second to last in the standings, facing a very high risk of relegation.

In the 2015 V.League season, HAGL lost to SLNA 0-2 in the first leg at Vinh Stadium.

Several reasons have been cited for HAGL's rapid decline. Besides the lack of experience and composure among the U19 players, Coach Guillaume Graechen's lack of experience in the V.League is also a contributing factor to the team's rapid descent to the bottom of the table. With the training and coaching style of the JMG Football Academy, the French coach couldn't instruct his players to use underhanded tactics to frustrate opponents or waste time to maintain the scoreline like some other coaches. He also lacked the connections with leaders, coaches, or players of other V.League teams to "play the game behind the scenes" when necessary. Another reason contributing to HAGL's increasing fatigue is that their opponents often try to "torment" the young players of Chairman Duc's team, along the lines of, "Can a prodigy beat me?"

Following the Organizing Committee's decision to suspend the HAGL football team manager from the dugout for two matches, coupled with the crushing 0-4 defeat against Quang Nam at Tam Ky Stadium, everything in the V.League now seems to be against the team from the mountainous region. From a team that was lauded to the skies at the beginning of the season, Coach Graechen's team has fallen into the abyss and is desperately struggling in the relegation battle.

Duc Dung