V.League and the return of the old guard.

First of all, these "veterans" are all stars of their respective teams, notably the majority of them are foreign players who have played for many years in the V.League. There's Olaha at Song Lam Nghe An, with a long story at the Thanh Vinh team. Olaha spent many years with Song Lam Nghe An, which is relatively rare as foreign players usually only sign one-year contracts and then seek new opportunities with higher, more lucrative salaries.

Olaha doesn't do that withLam River, Nghe AnHe had only left for far-off Israel. But the love for Song Lam Nghe An never faded for this foreign player, and he returned to the waiting list of the coaching staff and numerous fans in the 2022 season. He is an indispensable player in the Song Lam Nghe An squad, and his absence in the last two matches has proven this more clearly than ever. Therefore, Olaha's return is a welcome and hopeful development for Song Lam Nghe An and the V.League.

Olaha is SLNA's main striker for the new season. Photo: Duc Anh

Recently, the V.League has seen the return of two highly anticipated players. One is Lee Nguyen, returning from the US to Ho Chi Minh City FC with the mission of salvaging a "sinking ship." This isn't the first time this Vietnamese-American player has returned to the V.League after playing for Hoang Anh Gia Lai or Ho Chi Minh City FC itself.

That's goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, who left Hai Phong to play in Thailand and then Japan, but this time he's returning to "Vietnam's PSG" - Topenland Binh Dinh. In addition, another case of a returning "former player" is striker Huynh Kesley at Becamex Binh Duong, a former top scorer in the V.League who retired and became an assistant coach for the team, now back on the field as a temporary addition due to a shortage of players.

Dang Van Lam officially signs a contract with Topenland Binh Dinh. Photo: Cerezo Osaka

In Round 12, Lee Nguyen, having just returned, immediately played in the home match against Topenland Binh Dinh, coached by Huu Thang. Unfortunately for the Vietnamese-American player, his team took the lead but ultimately lost in the final minutes, reportedly due to Lee Nguyen's lack of fitness. Experts and fans highly rate his abilities. Sadly, he has never truly embodied the team's style of play, whether during his time at Hoang Anh Gia Lai or Ho Chi Minh City FC, even when the team was at its best. Now, with the team in a severe crisis, it's uncertain what Lee Nguyen can achieve amidst the numerous difficulties.

Meanwhile, Huynh Kesley also came on for 5 minutes in the latest match and, naturally, didn't have a chance to clearly show anything, even though his team unexpectedly won away against Viettel (0-1). Perhaps everyone understands that this is a temporary solution, more of a stopgap measure than a long-term one. Or, to put it another way, the 41-year-old player's return after 5 years of inactivity is simply to "inspire" the younger players.

Conversely, while Van Lam may not have been great at Hai Phong, it's a completely different story with the Vietnamese national team. Now, after a long period of seeking glory abroad, he has returned to the V.League and there's no reason why he shouldn't be the starting goalkeeper, fulfilling his dream. Not only will the struggling Topenland Binh Dinh team gain strength, but the V.League will also become more unpredictable, and strikers, both domestic and foreign, will find it harder to score or threaten the number one goalkeeper of the Vietnamese national team. The happiest person, of course, is coach Park Hang-seo, because his players will get regular playing time, without the hassle of being called up for training camps or matches…

The gathering of talented and skilled players in the V.League is a great thing for Vietnamese football in the process of building a top league in the region and gradually expanding its reach to the continent. Let's continue to look forward to the arrival of Olaha, Lee Nguyen, Van Lam, and many other "old" and new players who will showcase their best abilities in the V.League, even though things won't always be easy and smooth sailing for everyone as we once knew them to be…