V-League and dramatic races

These are races of teams and individuals to achieve the set goals, not only for the team but also for the position of individuals in the upcoming national teams.

First of all, the collective race in the championship groups is taking place in a scenario that is both easy and unpredictable. Through the recent round 1, due to only receiving a regrettable 1-1 draw against Hong Linh Ha Tinh and still temporarily leading the rankings, the leading candidate team, Hanoi Police, is facing a serious challenge from the team in the same city, Hanoi FC. Because despite missing Van Quyet and loaning Lucao, Hanoi FC still had enough strength to defeat Binh Dinh with a score of 4-2 in the last match of the above round 1. Now, Van Quyet's suspension has ended, with the momentum after the victory like splitting bamboo against the martial arts team, Hanoi FC has enough spirit and strength to successfully defend the championship they are holding.

Of course, the race will be fierce when Viettel is also "no pushover" and Nam Dinh Blue Steel is also pushing into the top of group 1. Many people predict that Hanoi FC, Hanoi Police and Viettel will be the 3 teams in the capital competing for the championship and it is difficult to say who will have the advantage over the other in the near future. Some experts even believe that Viettel will be the team that will "overthrow" the throne that Hanoi FC is holding, while Hanoi Police, despite their ambitions, will not be able to "find a match" in this first season?

The race in group 2 - the anti-relegation group also has a lot to say. Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai are the 2 teams at the top, and both won the opening match of the second phase, so staying in the league is considered to be basically achieved. The most difficult are still the 3 teams at the bottom: Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and SHB Da Nang. Both Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai will send young players onto the field in the upcoming matches to create conditions for them to train and "practice" for the new season. Of course, Ho Chi Minh City will be the team that faces the most difficulties in each match, while the match between SHB Da Nang andLam River Nghe AnIn the final round, will there be a chance for the Han River team to score points when recent head-to-head history shows that?

The individual race will also be very interesting in each round. A relaxed mentality and the opportunities given will help young players prove their abilities to not only meet the current tasks of the team, but also be an opportunity for excellent players to catch the eye of the U23 Vietnam teams led by both Mr. Philip Troussier and Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan. After being quite unlucky in previous training sessions, Xuan Tien of Song Lam Nghe An has consecutively scored 2 beautiful goals in matches against Hanoi FC and Ho Chi Minh City and can continue to prove that in the near future, which will make Mr. Troussier pay more attention and trust him more, arranging him to play more in the right position to play as an attacking midfielder, for example? And so, will the midfield of U23 Vietnam change when Xuan Tien is trusted? Of course, other excellent players will never be inferior, so Xuan Tien must maintain his inherent form more and more, to create a real challenge for his teammates/opponents.

Another case worth mentioning is Viettel's Duc Chien, a defensive player in the army team who has scored 5 goals up to round 1 of phase 2 and has not stopped yet. Only calling up players with good form to the national team is Mr. Trousser's motto, which means that Duc Chien will be named when the Vietnam National Team is called up. It also means that the midfield of the red team will be more crowded, with higher competition, when not only Duc Chien but also Xuan Manh is called back.

The most interesting race that many people are interested in is between Dang Van Lam and Philip Nguyen for the position of number 1 goalkeeper of the upcoming Vietnam National Team. Of course, Philip Nguyen does not have Vietnamese nationality at the moment, but this important thing is only a matter of time, everything is coming to the finish line in front of him. The problem is only the performance of "who is better than who". Van Lam played very well in the match between Binh Dinh and Song Lam Nghe An in round 12, but had a bad moment in the match against Hoang Anh Gia Lai in round 13 and conceded 4 goals in the match against Hanoi FC in round 1 of phase 2 recently. Philip Nguyen conceded goals in the last 3 consecutive matches but is gradually proving his inherent class. Currently, this race is quiet but fierce, which is extremely beneficial for the teams they play for and the Vietnam National Team.

To see, V.League 1-2023 is "increasing in price" every day due to the fierce nature and interesting competition in each phase of the players as demonstrated above. Vietnamese football is "upgrading" itself naturally and necessarily in such a waiting, hoping and needing the support of a large number of fans./.

Phu Chau