When the Song Lam River in Nghe An loses its unique identity.

It's the will to overcome difficulties, the fiery passion and aspirations of the Nghe An spirit, the Nghe An character; each match is a "game for men," meaning they're not afraid of confrontation, they enter the game with more than 100% of their ability, causing many opponents to lose the match even before they arrive at Vinh Stadium! Of course, there are times when people criticize them.Lam River, Nghe AnHe played with a "tough, aggressive" style, but those were the early years of joining top-level football, when his abilities and experience were limited, and his path forward was still unclear...

Unfortunately, after hosting countless delegations from neighboring provinces and teams who came to Vinh to learn, observe, and admire the club's history and especially its youth training program, Song Lam Nghe An gradually lost its original identity as domestic and international football entered a period of high socialization. Local football teams from provinces like Long An, Gia Lai, Binh Duong, Hanoi, Nam Dinh, etc., successively won the V-League titles in each season. Although they avoided relegation, Song Lam Nghe An now finds it difficult to compete with their neighbors Thanh Hoa or Ha Tinh, as evidenced by the last two seasons.

Upon careful consideration, one thing becomes clear: modern football needs a strong, ambitious investor willing to commit to the long-term future of the team, like the owners of Hanoi FC, Nam Dinh Steel, Hanoi Police, etc., or corporate models with multiple investors like those in Binh Duong, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Binh Dinh… Song Lam Nghe An, when it transitioned to a private ownership structure, also had investors, but we didn't see a real "owner" or team owner who dared to openly compete with the world. They timidly announced their goals before the season, made half-closed, half-open investment statements, and never dared to publicly announce the bonus for a win… In other words, they lacked real strength and ambition, causing the team to be underestimated even before the season began.

A V-League team that relies primarily on its own players, coupled with weak foreign players, will inevitably struggle to achieve success, no matter how hard it tries. Traditionally, teams can allow players whose contracts expire to leave, but they must nurture and "care for" their key players, the leading players in each position, and have a strong reserve and backup force ready to fill their places. Furthermore, the acquisition of foreign players, once considered a "lucky" move, is now seen as a hasty, impulsive purchase at the end of the season, leading to heartbreaking disappointment when foreign players mishandle the ball. The team becomes increasingly unstable due to injuries, suspensions, exposed tactics, and bad luck. Not to mention, even with determination, if they only draw or lose, it's difficult to take to the field with a relaxed, comfortable, and inspired spirit.

Without a leader on the field, who can the players, especially the young newcomers to the V-League, look to? Every day, the Song Lam players looked to their seniors like Ha Thin, Bui Dinh Dai, Huu Thang, Quang Truong, Trong Hoang… for inspiration and dedication in every play. Now, what advice will young Long Vu receive from Olaha, wearing the captain's armband, to help him develop his talent as one of the most highly-rated players in the current U17 and U18 age groups? Senior player Dinh Hoang is always on the bench, and Xuan Tien is unable to direct his teammates. Clearly, saying the young players are "disoriented from the start" is not an exaggeration or inaccurate, no matter how much coaches Anh Tuan, Nhu Thuat, or Huy Hoang shout themselves hoarse from the sidelines.

Furthermore, in the past, Song Lam Nghe An often went into battle with solid support behind them. This included a large number of fans cheering them on everywhere, from home to away matches, and the enthusiastic support of provincial and industry leaders. Behind the coaching staff was a team of managers and leaders with expertise and ample experience on the field and in matches, always encouraging and supporting them. The question is, how much of that support remains today, why has it disappeared, and how can it be resolved? It's very difficult, if not impossible, to answer!

Of course, there's a silver lining. Professional football is different from football during the subsidy era. But the question is, why do other localities always find strong sponsors for their teams, for the expensive game of football, while the team based in Vinh remains stagnant to this day? I hear that the new sponsor, facing these difficulties, is learning from Japan's approach, which is to call on multiple sponsors to join hands with the team? The Japanese have succeeded with this method, while we are only just beginning? It's worth remembering that the Japanese succeeded with school football, while we train young players using budget funds. Furthermore, whether the main sponsor has enough credibility and experience to reassure other sponsors to join forces is also a question that's not easy to answer today.

Song Lam Nghe An is declining in every aspect of the V-League, starting with its weak sponsor, despite the team's strong tradition and youth development. It's simply a case of "you can't build a professional, top-level football team without money." Whether identity and tradition are preserved and promoted ultimately begins with the age-old question: where does the money come from? Low salaries mean no high achievements, and willpower and identity are matters of life, not something... up in the sky. No one is surprised or regretful that the peak of football – The Cong, Hanoi Police, Ha Nam Ninh Industry, Ho Chi Minh City Customs, Saigon Port, Hai Phong Port, Quang Ninh Coal, Dong Thap… – have successively left the arena, and it will take a long time for some of those names to reappear in the V-League.

Song Lam Nghe An cannot afford to deviate from this inevitable path. The team's record of never being relegated from the V-League is more precarious than ever, unless there is a concrete change and support in terms of personnel and approach from its current investor and sponsor.