Can HAGL still fly high, when there is a storm ahead...

Fly high

HAGL is in its best days, having won the top spot in the V-League 2024-2025 after 2 rounds. Coach Le Quang Trai and his team defeated Quang Nam 4-0 away, before defeating SLNA 2-0 in the most recent match to take the lead with absolute statistics: 6 points, scoring 6 goals and conceding no goals.

Along with Ha Tinh, HAGL is one of the two remaining teams in the V-League to maintain an all-win record. In the past two decades, this is a rare season in which the mountain town team won both first two rounds. In the 2021 season, when coach Kiatisak and his team led the V-League until the tournament was canceled, HAGL's record after the first two rounds was only 1 win and 1 loss.

HAGL (yellow shirt) is on the rise

Perhaps the opponents that HAGL won (Quang Nam and SLNA) were all in the relegation group, not as strong as Hanoi Police Club (CAHN Club), Hanoi Club or Viettel The Cong. However, in football, sometimes it is difficult to play against teams that are "equally matched".

Because when facing each other, mid-level or weak teams tend to play with more determination and motivation, with the mindset of not being allowed to lose, in order to accumulate maximum points. For example, last season, HAGL defeated Hanoi or Thanh Hoa, but struggled when competing with SLNA, Quang Nam or Khanh Hoa.

HAGL's progress is even more remarkable, when in fact the mountain town team has not changed much in terms of force. Still the old frame with Minh Vuong, Ngoc Quang playing the main role, combined with some young players and new foreign players, but the Pleiku home team has shown a new look.

The changes of HAGL, first of all, come from the process of physical training, choosing the best form for the players by the duo of coach Le Quang Trai and technical director Vu Tien Thanh. When taking over HAGL from coach Kiatisak last season, Mr. Vu Tien Thanh trained the players' physical strength and improved their fighting ability.

Since the middle of last season, HAGL has also changed its playing philosophy. No more passing and passing, the mountain town team focuses on efficiency in their playing style.

HAGL is different from before

“HAGL narrows the defensive distance. We defend in a block formation, with players standing close together to easily cover and support each other. HAGL will calculate each match. Which match is for 1 point, which match must take 3 points is in the plan,” Mr. Vu Tien Thanh affirmed.

HAGL defeated Quang Nam and SLNA with lightning-fast attacks, moving the ball from defense to attack very quickly. Combined with good quality foreign players, the mountain town team has a foothold to resolve disputes that have long been considered a weakness.

With the ambition of the young stars in their first V-League match, HAGL may no longer play beautiful, clear football but rather play more pragmatically. But in V-League, winning is important.

Heavyweight test

In the next 5 rounds, HAGL will meet Nam Dinh (home), Da Nang (away), Thanh Hoa (home), Binh Duong (away) and CAHN Club (home). These are all high-dose "tests" for the level of coach Le Quang Trai and his team.

While Nam Dinh is the reigning V-League champion, Thanh Hoa has just won the National Cup, CAHN Club has a very strong squad, and Binh Duong is always difficult to deal with at Go Dau Stadium. If HAGL can really win 6 to 8 points in this tough series, it will be a challenge for the rest of the V-League.

After the soaring matches, HAGL needs "heavy" challenges to return to the ground and test their abilities.

When young players are at their best, victories can come in droves. But when times get tough, the physical and mental resilience of the young stars that the duo Vu Tien Thanh and Le Quang Trai are nurturing will be more accurately assessed.

HAGL needs to be "strong and agile" to overcome this difficult season.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-con-bay-cao-nua-khong-khi-truoc-mat-la-bao-to-185240923112453363.htm