HAGL 'different'
In the minds of many people, HAGL is associated with a beautiful style of play with the core force being the first generation of players from the HAGL Arsenal JMG academy including Nguyen Cong Phuong, Luong Xuan Truong, Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Van Toan, Vu Van Thanh, Nguyen Phong Hong Duy...
When this generation of players left the mountain town, the beautiful football and dedication of HAGL, as Mr. Duc once said, "playing so beautifully, losing is also fun", was no longer there. Instead, a more pragmatic image of HAGL appeared.
Center back Pham Ly Duc and his teammates at HAGL this season always play fiercely, strongly and are not afraid of collisions.
In the 2024-2025 season, HAGL will apply a defensive-counterattacking strategy and not emphasize ball control. Most of the mountain town team's ball control rate is lower than their opponents, ranging from 35-38%. The two matches in which HAGL had more possession of the ball than their opponents were in the 2-0 victory over SLNA and the 4-0 victory over Quang Nam Club. That is understandable because both SLNA and Quang Nam Club no longer have quality players in their squads.
The defensive-counterattacking strategy is suitable for the current quality of personnel at HAGL. Before the 1-4 defeat against Binh Duong Club, a match in which HAGL showed signs of "breaking down" due to mistakes, they were one of the two unbeaten teams in the V-League and ranked at the top of the rankings. HAGL's annoying playing style also helped them hold two championship candidates, Nam Dinh Club and Thanh Hoa, to a draw.
Thanks to that, Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh affirmed to the media that HAGL is no longer a team that only knows how to perform, but the players play like warriors with passion, fighting ability, and improved physical strength.
HAGL cannot return to being a "big guy"
The loss to Binh Duong Club exposed many problems for HAGL. They had moments of lack of concentration, neglecting to mark Nguyen Tien Linh and were punished by this striker with 2 consecutive goals, thereby allowing the opponent to lead 2-1. For the first time this season, HAGL experienced the feeling of having to chase and they did not have enough courage to stand up. Not only that, Coach Le Quang Trai's students also conceded 2 more goals. And they also passed too many wrongly so they could not score to shorten the score.
The two draws against Da Nang and Thanh Hoa clubs also partly reflected HAGL’s lack of courage. They took the lead but could not maintain the victory. And this may be understandable for a team with many young players.
HAGL does not know how to overcome difficulties. This is a factor that requires battle experience.
HAGL also anticipated that. Mr. Vu Tien Thanh said: "This year, HAGL's strategy is to build from 'homegrown' players. The leaders invest heavily in the club and the academy. That motivates young players. This year, the players are physically very strong, the only concern is that there is no stability, especially in away matches."
Therefore, it is difficult for HAGL to set a goal of competing for the championship this season. They need a few more years for the young players trained by the club to mature, thereby completing a better quality domestic squad before they can consider returning to the race.
Mr. Thanh shared: "HAGL has many players playing at other teams on loan, for example at Long An Club. I told the young players that if they play well in the first division, they will return to HAGL to play in the V-League in phase 2. I believe that with such a roadmap, HAGL will have enough players to compete for the championship in a few more seasons."
At this point, HAGL's appropriate goal is probably just to become the "dark horse" of the tournament, blocking the championship candidates to make the race to the throne more exciting and dramatic.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-khong-con-loi-choi-bieu-dien-nhung-de-vo-dich-thi-chua-du-185241104002031096.htm
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