Nam Dinh - HAGL: Waiting for a new record in Thien Truong
Nam Dinh is the only team to win the first two matches of this season, with a score of 1-0. After defeating Da Nang in the second round away, coach Vu Hong Viet did not hide his goal of keeping the momentum of the victory, defeating HAGL in the third round and continuing to celebrate at Thien Truong's home ground. If they do, Nam Dinh will have three consecutive wins to make the best start in the club's history in the V-League.
After six years of returning to the top division, Nam Dinh began to change skin from the end of the 2022 season, worthy of the money from big sponsors. They replaced the coaching staff and made an exciting transfer window before the 2023 season thanks to abundant financial support. Coach Vu Hong Viet thereby created a new framework with nearly two-thirds of quality rookies. And on that basis, he let Nam Dinh give up defensive football, switch to active attack and control the ball. The billion-dollar bonus from the sponsor after each victory also contributes to boosting the fighting spirit of each player.
HAGL is at the opposite extreme. They have just undergone the biggest change since the 2015 season, when many pillars at the same time left the team. After drawing with Ha Tinh in the poor opening match of professional quality, the team kicked excitedly against Binh Duong but only achieved a 1-1 result because the finishing stitch was too ungainly. In this context, the trip to Nam Dinh promises to be even more difficult for Kiatisuk's teachers and students.
Nam Dinh's rookie Nguyen Phong Hong Duy is mentioned a lot when confronting the old team. But the HAGL name that needs the most attention at Thien Truong today is Hendrio Araujo - Nam Dinh's most impressive rookie since the beginning of the season. Besides one goal and one assist, the Brazilian midfielder also contributed greatly to the building of the team's attacking style of ball control and active attack in the role of conductor. The importance of Hendrio in Nam Dinh is no different from Van Quyet in Hanoi FC. If you want to win points at Thien Truong today, HAGL will have to cut the connection between Hendrio and the surrounding chains at all costs.
Both teams were thirsty for victory, because Viettel completely drew the first two matches, and CAHN had just returned to the ground with a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Hanoi FC after crushing Binh Dinh 5-0 on the opening day. The same big goal promises to help the two teams create an exciting match like the past, in addition to the presence of many national players on both sides.
Coach Thach Bao Khanh needs to help Viettel's attack soon - just scored a goal - play better. Meanwhile, CAHN will introduce new foreign player Elton Monteiro – a central defender with a remarkable background when he grew up from Arsenal's youth academy, before coming to play European second-tier football platforms such as Belgium and Switzerland.
