U23 Vietnam stars play in V-League: Attraction and pressure

V-League kicks off late to serve the audience

Compared to the 2017 season schedule, the 2018 V-League has adjusted its match times quite late. The earliest matches take place at 5pm, the latest matches at 7pm.

It is easy to see that most of the matches with teams having the most U23 Vietnam players such as Hanoi, HAGL, SLNA, FLC Thanh Hoa... are scheduled by the tournament organizers to be played late, meaning the matches end at nearly 9pm.

The tournament organizers' late match schedule is completely intentional. The success of U23 Vietnam will certainly create an effect, attracting spectators to the stadium. Even the matches with HAGL and Hanoi are predicted to be "crazy", because these two teams possess many stars of U23 Vietnam such as Quang Hai, Duy Manh, Van Hau, Xuan Truong, Cong Phuong, Van Thanh...

The story of a broken pitch in V-League is very rare, but it has happened, also with the above players. In the past, when the U19 Vietnam team (the core of which were HAGL players) debuted in V-League, it created a fever every time they took the field.

This time, U23 Vietnam is even getting more attention, and the tournament organizers have also known how to take advantage of it.

Higher ticket sales are what tournament organizers want, but above all, having large audiences for V-League matches will create a boost in terms of image, television copyright, advertising, etc. That is what the tournament organizers are waiting for.

Of course, V-League still has many unresolved problems, and if the ugly images of football violence, distorted whistles, negativity… continue to occur, the attraction of U23 Vietnam will hardly last.

Pressure on the U23 Vietnam brand

Sharing with us before the Super Cup match - Thaco Cup 2017, midfielder Van Duc of SLNA admitted that he is under a bit of pressure when he is being expected a lot at the club. If in U23 Vietnam, the players are of the same age, with quite even levels, then at the club there are many seniors, many foreign players, which means that if they cannot show their talent, they can sit on the bench for a long time.

Another case is Xuan Truong who also fell into a similar situation when he was playing in Korea. Although he played very well when he returned to the national team and U23 Vietnam, the midfielder from Tuyen Quang almost had to sit on the bench during the 2 years he played abroad.

Of course, when he returns to V-League, Xuan Truong's position is untouchable, but he must always strive to affirm his brand.

In general, most of the U23 Vietnam players have the opportunity to play in the starting lineup when they return to their clubs. Last season, Van Dai was the U23 player who played the least in the V-League, with 11 appearances, while Thanh Chung (13 appearances), Doan Van Hau (11 appearances). Players like Cong Phuong, Van Thanh, Duy Manh, Quang Hai... have become pillars of the team.

The most worried among the U23 Vietnam players are the 3 goalkeepers Tien Dung, Van Hoang, Ngoc Tuan. Tien Dung is the hero of U23 Vietnam, but is only ranked 3rd in FLC Thanh Hoa. Recently in the opening match of AFC Cup, Tien Dung was the main goalkeeper, but in V-League it is not certain, because this is the playground where teams often give priority to experienced players.

Vietnam U23 players are under pressure to show themselves, while many clubs also have to think carefully about whether to use U23 players or not, if they cannot maintain their form.

A coach admitted that if he did not use U23 players in the upcoming matches, it would be difficult to explain to the team leaders and sponsors. This coach only hopes that the U23 players will play as well as they do on the national team when they return to their clubs.