V-League trend: Domestic coaches and foreign players take center stage.
(Baonghean.vn) - For the past decade, many renowned foreign coaches have come to Vietnam. But none of them have been able to lift the Golden Cup, even though the clubs spared no expense in bringing in some of the best players in the V-League.
Foreign players are a prerequisite.
The prerequisite is that the V-League champion must have good foreign players, not a highly skilled foreign coach. This year, Hanoi FC even has two top foreign players in the V-League, and broadly speaking, among the top 10 scorers of the season, only two are domestic strikers: Tien Linh and Cong Phuong.
The recent trend is that to achieve good results, one needs a skilled foreign striker who can play aggressively and hold off defenders. Even HAGL, with a midfield comprised of national team players, struggles in the bottom half of the table without a good foreign player. The V-League seems more suited to foreign players with good physique and stamina than those who prioritize technical skills.
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| Coach Miura, the last remaining foreign coach in the 2018 V-League, has also left Vietnam. (Image: Internet) |
Meanwhile, the playmaking aspect is heavily reliant on domestic players, with Pape Omar being named among the top 5 assist providers this season. However, the FLC Thanh Hoa captain's 7 assists are far less impressive than the 17 assists of Nghiem Xuan Tu - the assist king this season.
Vietnamese players possess better ball control and passing abilities than their foreign counterparts. Except for Hung Dung (Hanoi FC) and Tan Tai (Binh Duong FC), who are central midfielders, the top assist providers are all wing midfielders.
This shows that the trend of attacking down the flanks is being increasingly implemented by Vietnamese clubs. In fact, half of Hung Dung's 8 assists and Tan Tai's 7 came from crosses from the flanks.
The trend of domestic teachers
For over 10 years, foreign coaches have never been successful in the V-League due to differences in professionalism both in personal life and on the field, as well as behind-the-scenes intrigue.
Just recently, FLC Thanh Hoa spared no expense to bring in foreign coach Petrovic, a former UEFA Champions League winner. But ultimately, they had to part ways in vain, as he failed to lead the team to a V-League championship.
As he left, the Serbian coach remarked bitterly, "The organizers should award the prize to the champion first, and let the clubs compete for the other rankings, saving time and effort." With his professional eye, Petrovic easily recognized the obstacles hindering and working against not only Thanh Hoa, given the real manipulation of the V-League by a single club owner.
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| Hanoi FC won the championship this season with a coaching staff of Vietnamese people who have a deep understanding of Vietnamese football. Photo: Internet |
At the beginning of this season, Thanh Hoa once again invited coach Marian Mihail, who had previously served as technical director of the Romanian Football Federation, but quickly dismissed him after only four rounds when rumors of infighting among the players surfaced. Young Vietnamese coach Nguyen Duc Thang took over after resolving the "controversy" in the locker room, and FLC Thanh Hoa returned to the race, ultimately finishing as runners-up.
Chung Hae-seong of HAGL was formerly an assistant coach to Hiddink when South Korea reached the top 4 at the 2002 World Cup. His coaching career in his homeland was even more illustrious than that of his counterpart Park, but he hasn't been able to shine at HAGL. This season, HAGL has played less impressively, lacking the distinctive style of a team that Chairman Duc has nurtured for the past four years.
Ho Chi Minh City FC is one of the few Vietnamese teams that still favors foreign coaches. After parting ways with French coach Alain Fiard, they turned to Japanese coach Toshiya Miura.
The coaching staff of Ho Chi Minh City FC includes assistant coach Tran Hung Cuong, goalkeeping coach Vo Van Hanh, and German fitness expert Martin Forkel. Chairman Vinh has also brought in stars to Thong Nhat Stadium: Tran Phi Son, Nguyen Thanh Diep (goalkeeper), Sam Ngoc Duc, Vu Ngoc Thinh, Nguyen Hai Anh – all players who previously represented the national team under coach Miura, and at one point, Ho Chi Minh City FC was considered a mini-national team.
This season, Ho Chi Minh City FC aimed for a top 3 finish, but coach Toshiya Miura's players, having recently lost face due to their violent style of play, only managed to secure a "top 3, from the bottom" finish, albeit with considerable difficulty. The departure of Chairman Vinh and subsequently Coach Miura from the team came as no surprise to anyone.
The V-League now has no place for the type of coach like Calisto with Long An FC in 2005-2006 or the Thai coach Songamsak who won the championship with HAGL two years in a row 14 years ago. Only domestic coaches truly understand the intricacies of the V-League, avoiding subtle backstabbing from their players and colleagues. Furthermore, they must know when to be firm and when to be flexible with the referees, and maintain good relations with the media.
