When the '12th player' gradually left the field early

The 12th player from the stands, creating a "fire pan" of enthusiasm, can make many opponents falter and lose the match easily...

But what is worth mentioning and regrettable is that recently, many teams that once had the added strength of a 12th player are unintentionally or intentionally losing them, slipping away, even in a day or two. The story of Nam Dinh fans after round 4 of phase 2 of V-League 1-2023 is a specific, vivid example, which can be a valuable lesson for not only Nam Dinh Blue Steel but any professional or amateur team.

This 2023 season, Nam Dinh Green Steel with its strong investment resources has truly changed its life in terms of human resource quality and ambition, which will of course attract and cheer for a large number of local audiences. In fact, Thien Truong Stadium is constantly at the top of the list in terms of the number of spectators coming to the stadium every time the home team plays. Even not having Nam Dinh Green Steel on the field, a match at the SEA Games taking place at Thien Truong Stadium is also filled with Thanh Nam audiences. Moreover, Thanh Nam audiences are also famous for their drums with attractive, urging rhythms, with eye-catching fan costumes and above all, the fans who love their hometown team so much, who put in the effort and quit their jobs to wholeheartedly create the strength of the "12th player" that is not as lovely and precious as at Thien Truong Stadium.

Also in this 2023 season, the fact that Nam Dinh Blue Steel entered group A, the group competing for the championship, is a proud result, further fueling the excitement of a large number of fans. At the beginning of phase 2, Nam Dinh Blue Steel won a heartwarming victory at Dong A Thanh Hoa Stadium with a score of 2-0, opening up a great opportunity for the race to be more exciting and attractive. But since then, Mr. Vu Hong Viet's team has only achieved a draw against Viettel and lost consecutively to two opponents, Hanoi FC and Hanoi Police. The climax of the story was the recent 1-2 loss in round 4 against Hanoi Police, causing many fans to leave the stadium early, then some threw away drums, burned shirts after the match, the fan forum announced to give up going to the stadium to cheer, and most recently, the collection of fans' shirts to return to the home team...

Of course, the unstable and unfriendly relationship between the team and the fans does not only happen in Nam Dinh or Song Lam Nghe An as many people know and have witnessed. Everything stems from the team's unusual, erratic and unsatisfactory results, leading to the fans coming to the stadium less often, even declaring a boycott of the team, which has happened in teams with the largest fan base in V-League!

The results of the recent matches show that it is very difficult for Nam Dinh Blue Steel to compete for a position in the top 3 at the end of the season and with the way of playing as seen, there is no hope for anything ahead. This team does not have the determination and perseverance like the opponents in group A such as Dong A Thanh Hoa or Binh Dinh, and it is even more difficult to compete with the candidates group Hanoi FC, Hanoi Police or Viettel? Therefore, it seems that it is not difficult for Thanh Nam fans to realize the team's surrender and they realize that their support and blood are meaningless, that they are betrayed as easily as turning their hands. Similarly, the story of Song Lam Nghe An's relegation and the abandoned afternoon matches are very strange to professional football and the belief of those who are passionate about football, especially those who hold the drumbeat on the field, those who hold the rhythm for the choir, for the shouts that create waves in people's hearts...

What would happen if football had no spectators, would it be like the stadium was fined, "suspended" due to discipline in the upcoming matches and the upcoming seasons? The leaders of the Nam Dinh Steel Blue Football Team will have to step in to handle this serious "crisis" and bring everything back to the old track? Obviously, when the "12th player" not only gradually leaves the field but is officially boycotting and reacting to the backward and shameful way of doing things, like in Nam Dinh, then that team is "shooting" itself in the foot, going against the unstoppable path of professional football!