V-League: Championship contenders and... relegation contenders

Both teams boast many stars from the Vietnamese national team and the U23 and U20 teams, but for a long time they have lacked motivation and sharpness, with loose defenses and blunt attacks… so the disastrous results mentioned above are not surprising. What is surprising is that at the "top level," Chairman Duc and Chairman Ba ​​have been completely silent, not uttering a single word, whether to encourage, motivate, praise, or even… scold (!).

Lam River, Nghe An. Photo: Chung Le's archives.

The only difference is that Song Lam Nghe An dared to play and beat Hoang Anh Gia Lai right in their own home ground, only to then revert to their old state, lacking motivation, cohesion, and suffering a ridiculous defeat. Could it be that these two teams are experiencing a state of "weightlessness" in the V-League, and that this will inevitably lead them to their rightful place at the end of this forgettable season?

Viettel suffered a humiliating defeat at Hang Day Stadium. (Photo: People's Army Newspaper)

Speaking after the defeat against Viettel at Hang Day Stadium following round 20, Kiatisuk implied that "everything will be up to Chairman Duc," while the chairman, who is usually not secretive, remained completely silent as mentioned above. It seems that a football academy, a strong brand, is gradually losing its best qualities after many years of building.

And remember, for a long time now, at Song Lam Nghe An, only Huy Hoang has been the "spokesperson" regarding matters related to the team. This coach was not wrong when he said, "We will play well to show our gratitude to the fans." The Vinh Stadium also halved ticket prices and even offered free entry to students. But saying it is one thing, shouting slogans is another. In reality, as seen in the Round 20 match against Saigon FC, the commentator from Vietnam Television questioned, "How could a top-class defender like Ngoc Hai be so easily beaten?" leading to the team's second goal conceded in that match?

Look at Van Duc's penetrating run and then pass the ball into... an empty space. Look at Dinh Tien, who played so well in the previous two matches, now inexplicably clenching his teeth and shooting the ball into the sky. Besides that, Olaha and Sy Hoang... looked dejected. Luckily, there's Oseni, who has been scoring consistently in three matches, but unfortunately, his most recent goal was meaningless because the defense had pushed high up the pitch and made several blunders, gifting two goals to the desperate visiting team.

Statistics from the V-League organizers reveal a sad reality: even the most loyal fans of Hoang Anh Gia Lai are turning their backs on their beloved team. The highest attendance at a match in Pleiku reached 10,000 people, but in round 19, only 3,000-4,000 people showed up. With the dismal result in round 20 in Vinh, it's difficult to expect Song Lam Nghe An to attract a large number of fans back.

Experienced fans will surely remember a rather forgettable "tradition" of Song Lam Nghe An: winning against strong teams, the champions, but drawing or losing against weak teams, the bottom-ranked teams! The team of Van Quyen and Nhu Thuat once beat Dong Tam Long An on the very day that team received their championship trophy – that's one example. Song Lam Nghe An is winning convincingly, but when they return to Vinh Stadium, they draw or suffer humiliating defeats against bottom-ranked teams fighting for relegation – the number of such cases is countless, from Khanh Hoa and Nam Dinh to Saigon FC recently.

Someone jokingly said, "Taking from the rich and giving to the poor." But how can anyone be happy with a style of play that drives away the audience, right in their own home stadium? Don't try to explain the reasons here when, on more than one occasion, the team pushed forward and became easy prey for counter-attacks that turned the tables (matches against Viettel, Dong A Thanh Hoa, Saigon FC...).

Someone might say it was an accident, a forgettable match. But trust needs no justification, no explanation. If trust is lost, don't expect to regain it overnight, or after a single victory, like the win against Hoang Anh Gia Lai, which would give people reason to believe that anyone can beat a team in freefall, right?

Things are getting complicated, not just for Kiatisuk, but also for the previous winner Huy Hoang, as they are now always "candidates" for defeat, for relegation, for a regrettable and forgettable surprise?