V-League 2018: While the "king" is sleeping

The team based at Tam Ky Stadium has largely retained its squad from previous seasons. The team from Central Vietnam has also attempted to negotiate contracts with several football stars, but all attempts have been unsuccessful. As the 2017 V-League champions, they have more money thanks to a new sponsor, but Quang Nam has never been an attractive destination for both domestic and foreign players.

Staffing difficulties

This season, coach Hoang Van Phuc will find it difficult to achieve any breakthroughs because "you can't make something out of nothing." Photo: TA

While star striker Claudecir's attempt to leave failed, in the afternoon, coach Hoang Van Phuc brought in six new players, but names like Minh Hoang, Van Ha, Quang Huy, Duc Thang, Mila, and Wander Luiz are not well-known players.

The Tam Ky team also faced difficulties when midfielder Huy Hung suffered an injury and had to miss the first three matches of the 2018 V.League season. Meanwhile, key players in last year's defense such as Thiago Melo and goalkeeper Pham Van Cuong occasionally made mistakes leading to unfortunate goals conceded.

Quang Nam's midfield performed reasonably well, with Dinh Thanh Trung still playing a leading role and having a fairly good game against SHB Da Nang. Phan Thanh Hung also scored a goal, but the attack, led by naturalized player Nguyen Trung Dai Duong, only played a role in disrupting the opponent's play rather than scoring goals. At Cam Pha Stadium, Huy Hung's return allowed Quang Nam's midfield to control possession more, but facing Quang Ninh, with former SHB Da Nang captain Nguyen Sa – a player from Quang Nam who knew the home team very well – they were not given many opportunities.

It's hard to suppress wisdom.

At the start of the season, the Quang Nam management was determined to "tame" their unruly Claudecir by keeping him sidelined for two rounds, but when it came time to use him, the Brazilian striker was still unable to play due to insufficient fitness. It's true that "man proposes, God disposes"!

Claudecir is not yet fit enough to compete. Photo: Internet

Facing personnel difficulties after the first four matches of the 2018 V.League season, Quang Nam only managed 4 points. At home, Coach Hoang Van Phuc's team won against FLC Thanh Hoa, drew with Saigon, and suffered defeats away against Than Quang Ninh and SHB Da Nang. As CEO Nguyen Hup feared: "Winning the championship is difficult, but maintaining success this season is even harder," because after only four matches they are already 6 points behind.

Following this team from Central Vietnam, we've noticed that Quang Nam, like SLNA, often has a poor start in the V. League. In the last three seasons, after the first four rounds, they only had 3, 4, and 8 points respectively. The 2017 season was a breakthrough, with Coach Hoang Van Phuc's team going undefeated in their first four matches, earning 8 points and subsequently winning the championship.

Things will be even more difficult, because Quang Nam, playing as the reigning champion, will be far different from last year's "lying low" approach. It seems that coach Hoang Van Phuc will struggle to achieve any breakthroughs because, as the foreign players are poor and the domestic players are only average, the only star, captain Thanh Trung, is increasingly losing influence after being targeted by other teams. For Quang Nam now, many believe that even a chance to finish in the top 3 is difficult, let alone successfully defending their championship title.