Coach Popov: Talk more, do more
Before coach Velizar Popov arrived at Thanh Hoa Club, it was not easy to find a foreign coach who could coach in V-League for more than 2 seasons. Coach Kiatisak Senamuang at HAGL is a rare case, but he has a favorable springboard as a legend at Pleiku Stadium and is very knowledgeable about Vietnamese football (due to the cultural closeness between Thailand and Vietnam).
Coach Popov did not have this advantage. He had the same starting point as most other foreign coaches when coming to work in Vietnam, being unfamiliar with a new land, with cultural conflicts and coaching styles. However, unlike foreign coaches who did not leave any mark, Coach Popov was successful with 3 trophies in 2 years. Why?
Coach Velizar Popov
Because the Eastern European coach is serious about his job. Coach Popov once sent Thanh Hoa Club President Cao Tien Doan a detailed plan to analyze the internal situation, as well as a plan to revive the team even before he took over the team. Mr. Popov studied Thanh Hoa team very carefully, did not hesitate to apply harsh training methods to change the situation at the team that was always in limbo between the championship race and the relegation race.
Coach Popov's very heavy physical exercises once made Thanh Hoa players question at the beginning of the 2023 season, but the Bulgarian strategist promised that Thanh Hoa team would progress, otherwise, he would take responsibility (by resigning himself).
It only took the Thanh team 5 rounds to realize how effective Coach Popov's method is. Up to now, with 2 years of hard training, the former Myanmar U.23 coach has turned Thanh Hoa Club into a completely different team: more combative, able to put pressure on the ball, pressing and deploying the ball strategically.
Thanh Hoa Club is leading V-League
In the past 2 years, Thanh Hoa Club has been better at cup competitions than long-term competitions, when despite winning the National Cup twice, they only finished fourth (2023) and ninth (2023-2024) in the V-League. This season, when it seemed that the pressure from the dense competition schedule and Rimario Gordon's injury would knock Thanh Hoa Club down, Mr. Popov's team played better and better. Thanh Hoa Club played 7 matches from the V-League to the Southeast Asian Cup, winning 4 matches and losing only 1 match.
Coach Popov is one of the strategists who complains the most in V-League. However, those complaints are ultimately for the benefit of Thanh Hoa Club. For his students, Mr. Popov is not afraid to play the villain. Therefore, the Bulgarian coach is respected by his students and Thanh Hoa Club is ready to play "close games" with any opponent.
Coach Polking: Comprehensive change
Before Mr. Polking arrived, CAHN Club had changed 5 coaches in less than 2 seasons. Of which, 4 foreign coaches (Paulo Foiani, Flavio Cruz, Gong Oh-kyun, Kiatisak) came and went, and none of them lasted more than 3 months. The turmoil only ended temporarily when Mr. Polking agreed to sit in the hot seat.
From the beginning, the leadership of the CAHN team had “marked” Mr. Polking, but at the time the former V-League champion made his offer, this strategist was still coaching the Thai national team. It was only when Mr. Polking left the “War Elephants” and negotiated for the second time that both sides reached an agreement.
Coach Polking has what CAHN Club needs: a foreign coach with experience in Southeast Asia (having coached for 8 years in Thailand), aiming for an attractive, attacking style of play, prioritizing short balls.
Coach Polking helps CAHN Club play more sharply
With full authority and no professional interference, Coach Polking is helping CAHN Club gradually change. Leaving behind a difficult start with 1 point after 2 matches, Mr. Polking's students have won 3 out of the last 4 matches, scoring 10 goals against Hanoi, Binh Duong, Nam Dinh and Lion City Sailors.
Coach Polking's football playing ideas are clearly shown in the way CAHN Club operates, with a controlling and imposing style of play, with short passes to gradually invade and break down the opponent's defense, instead of playing long balls or high balls. The coordination and positional exchanges between Quang Hai, Artur, Van Thanh or Dinh Bac also bear the mark of Coach Polking.
Although Coach Polking and Coach Popov coach two teams with different financial and human resources, both have made their own mark. Over the past 10 years, V-League has witnessed the dominance of domestic coaches in the championship race. However, this season could be very different.
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