Quietly taking the lead

Viettel The Cong Club won the 2020 season, then regularly appeared in the top and was always highly appreciated by opponents. There were times when this team was close to winning the championship, or would be a "great obstacle" when directly affecting the race to the championship with the results of their confrontations.

However, at the most anticipated times, the army team disappointed and as a result, after 4 seasons, despite being highly rated, The Cong Viettel has never really been a serious opponent in the championship race. Then, when the majority has become accustomed to the fact that "expectation means disappointment", The Cong Viettel has quietly approached the top spot and until the make-up match of round 11 ended, coach Duc Thang and his team officially won the unofficial title of first-leg champion.

It is worth mentioning that Viettel The Cong Club took the top spot not by crushing their opponents, nor by a series of impressive matches. Before defeating Hanoi Police Club (CAHN) at My Dinh Stadium on the evening of February 19, coach Duc Thang and his team almost lost to Da Nang at Tam Ky Stadium and only got 1 point thanks to Nham Manh Dung's goal in the last minute of extra time.

Seeing the way The Cong Viettel Club plays, many people feel restless and uncomfortable because they don't know when Tien Dung and his teammates will play at 100% of their ability, or will show a style of play that "puts both opponents and fans to sleep". In fact, no matter how they play, Coach Duc Thang's team is showing effectiveness by defeating formidable opponents such as Nam Dinh Club, Hanoi or CAHN and taking the top spot after 13 rounds.

Team quality and reasonable tactics

Viettel The Cong Club does not have a "dream team" like CAHN or Nam Dinh Club, nor does it have "legends" like Hanoi team. In fact, this team will lose the current Golden Ball Hoang Duc in the 2024-2025 season. But in return, they have a well-balanced team, led by a coach with personality but also full of soldier spirit - Coach Duc Thang - a former player of The Cong.

The Cong Viettel Club currently owns a strong domestic squad with Tien Dung, Duc Chien, Tien Anh, Van Khang, Tuan Tai... all of whom have proven their abilities at many levels of the national team as well as the club. The defense with leader Tien Dung, The Cong Viettel has shown remarkable efficiency with only 10 goals conceded, equal to Nam Dinh Club and only 1 goal more than Hong Linh Ha Tinh.

Up front, coach Duc Thang has the service of a trio of Brazilian foreign players with inspiring and effective football. In the two recent victories against Hoang Anh Gia Lai and CAHN Club, the trio Amarildo, Pedro Henrique and Wesley Nata tormented the opponent's defense with both coordination and "solo" plays. It would be a mistake to talk about The Cong Viettel's attack without mentioning the domestic players when every position can score. From the defense with Tien Dung, Duc Chien, the midfield with Huu Thang or Van Khang, Tuan Tai and even domestic strikers like Manh Dung... can all score.

What is more frightening about The Cong Viettel is their ability to choose the right moment to decide the match. Right when everyone thought the former V-League champion was about to lose, Coach Duc Thang's players did the opposite. They quickly changed their stance, bringing the ball close to the opponent's goal with just a few passes and a few moves past them, but they did not overdo it and almost certainly caused trouble for the opponent's goal in such situations.

Quang Hai's head shake after the match on the evening of February 19th had many meanings, as he and his teammates could have lost more than 2 goals after the opponent's exemplary counterattacks. If they continue to play like this, it is very likely that The Cong Viettel Club will be crowned champions soon. Their current problem is maintaining stability, not the unexpected drop in points against "softer" opponents like Da Nang Club in round 13. The rematch with CAHN Club in round 14 of the V-League on February 23rd will be worth waiting for so that the military team can affirm its true strength.