Round 1 Night Wolf V-League 2023/2024: Changes create turning points
The 2023/2024 season with many historical details such as the organization time spanning 2 calendar years, similar to advanced football backgrounds, or VAR appearing from the beginning and taking up more than half of a round... can create the premise for a big step forward for Vietnamese football.
In the opening round of V-League 2023/2024, the two earliest matches at Lach Tray and Thanh Hoa stadiums will be supported by VAR technology for referees. The Organizing Committee has arranged for VAR to be used more frequently this year and promises to create more transparency and fairness for the matches.
In Hai Phong, HAGL will be a suitable challenge for coach Chu Dinh Nghiem and his team. This match can be interesting because of the intellectual battle between the two strategists. With HAGL, coach Kiatisuk will certainly have a difficult season after a series of reforms over the past 2 years. HAGL no longer has any significant stars except Tuan Anh, Minh Vuong or Ngoc Quang.
The "half of the team" position under the goal could be a danger for the team from the mountain town after Tuan Linh leaves. The army of "Thai Zico" is also not sure whether they can rely on Martin Dzilah in the attack this year. Because this striker has just joined the club and has not proven his ability.
Coach Kiatisuk has chosen 2 foreign players in the central defender position to help HAGL become more solid in defense. The problem of HAGL over the years has been a weak defense that cannot compensate for the attack. HAGL's current strength is not stronger than Hai Phong's.
Compared to Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa could not maintain the stability in the squad like last season. However, the National Super Cup title just won is the motivation for coach Velizar Popov and his team to continue waiting for a more successful season than last year.
Rimario's presence has filled the void left by Bruno Cunha or Jackie Chan. Thanh Hoa can play more pragmatically and stealthily thanks to the squad united by coach Popov.
Opponents will have to be wary if they play offensively against them, because striker Rimario is very dangerous with the ability to fight independently. Having just returned to Thanh Hoa, the Jamaican striker has contributed to all 3 goals against CAHN recently. Coach Thanh Cong's Hong Linh Ha Tinh must be cautious if they want to leave Thanh Hoa with 1 point this week.
CAHN after losing the Super Cup match against Thanh Hoa showed that they have to recalculate their personnel plan. The fact that their best foreign player, Jhon Cley, was re-registered after being "forgotten" in the recent match is proof of the importance of the Brazilian striker.
Coach Tran Tien Dai still owns a "galaxy" with superior strength compared to many clubs this season. They once made Binh Dinh lose 0-5 on the opening day of the 2023 season. The total score of the two matches last year of this pair was 6-0 in favor of the capital team.
Coincidentally, this year, CAHN continues to meet Van Lam and his teammates at Hang Day in the new season. Binh Dinh's current strength and ambition make it difficult to stop the defending champion. CAHN therefore has a great advantage to gain points, quickly putting pressure on the top group of the overall rankings.
Similarly, another home team that will easily get 3 points this round is Nam Dinh. Coach Vu Hong Viet's team is equipped with many quality players before the 2023-2024 season, typically Van Toan. Nam Dinh's two wings are worth watching with Van Toan and Van Vu. Not to mention, inside, they have creative expert Hendrio Silva. The current V-League top scorer Rafaelson and Coutinho can be 2 "cannons" that threaten any defense. Newcomer Quang Nam, "wet feet, dry feet" returning to V-League, will likely be the first "victim" of the Thien Truong Stadium team.
In the remaining two matches, SLNA meets Viettel and Ho Chi Minh City FC meets Khanh Hoa, the results are not easy to predict. In which, although Viettel is considered stronger than SLNA after a series of changes, the Vinh team has the advantage of home field and youth. Coach Phan Nhu Thuat still has stars who can change the game situation such as Olaha and Xuan Tien.
After a slow start to the season, Viettel paid a heavy price by going empty-handed. Hoang Duc and his teammates have learned enough lessons and after the addition of Bruno Cunha, combined with Jeferson in attack, the strength of this team promises to improve significantly. The match against SLNA could be a measure of Viettel's ability to conquer the throne once again.
Finally, Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa clubs faced off in a match that experts considered an early "reverse final". Compared to the rest, these are the two candidates for the ticket to the reverse train. Although Ho Chi Minh City added former French player Paul Ntep, after a year of rest, it is unclear how strong this striker is. The strength of the two teams is considered equal, but Khanh Hoa is better in spirit.
Match schedule and live commentary of round 1
Friday (October 20)
18:00 Hai Phong – HAGL (FPT Play, VTV5, VTV5TN, HTV Sports)
Saturday (October 21)
18:00 Dong A Thanh Hoa - Hong Linh Ha Tinh (FPT Play)
Sunday (October 22)
17:00 SLNA – Viettel (VTV5, FPT Play)
18:00 Nam Dinh Green Steel – Quang Nam (FPT Play)
19:15 CAHN – Quy Nhon Binh Dinh (FPT Play)
19:15 Ho Chi Minh City Club – Khanh Hoa (HTV Sports, FPT Play).
