V-League 2025/26: Everyone is fighting for relegation survival

Becamex TP.HCM and HAGL were once "powerhouses" of the domestic league many years ago. Back then, mentioning V-League meant talking about the epic battles among the quartet: Gốm (Bình Dương), Gạch (Đồng Tâm Long An), Gỗ (HAGL), and SHB Đà Nẵng. Now, Long An has slipped to the First Division, HAGL is struggling, and Becamex TP.HCM is in freefall.

1. If HAGL’s desperate relegation battle is hardly surprising—since they’ve been in that situation for about a decade—then Becamex TP.HCM facing the risk of relegation is quite shocking. Having won the V-League four times, their performance over the past ten years has been disappointing. The team from Thủ Dầu Một is now only focused on survival, which is a situation they cannot accept. In reality, Becamex TP.HCM lacks neither resources nor financial strength compared to the V-League average. However, losing their direction in strategy has caused them to stagger recently.

Becamex TP.HCM has always been considered a "coach grinder" in the V-League. If the team performs poorly for just a few rounds, they will dismiss the coach. In some seasons, even a coach who was doing well had to leave due to internal issues, such as Trần Minh Chiến or Phan Thanh Hùng. This season, they have changed head coaches three times. These changes have caused significant disruption; with each new coach, players must adapt to a new football philosophy.

Looking at Becamex TP.HCM in recent seasons, it’s hard to recognize the team that was once a force in Vietnam’s top league. A weak defensive system and a lack of focus at crucial moments have become their "Achilles' heel," causing them to drop points repeatedly. In attack, wasting clear-cut chances remains an unsolvable puzzle for the coaching staff.

Clearly, Becamex TP.HCM is at a disadvantage in the V-League 2025/26 relegation race, and the likelihood of them being relegated or having to play in the promotion/relegation playoffs is very high. However, whether they survive in the V-League or go down, the team from Thủ Dầu Một must seriously reflect and make better reforms. No one can live forever on past glory. Besides, that glory has already "faded" from the V-League stage for over a decade.

2. For a decade now, HAGL has "spent their entire youth fighting relegation." Except for 2021, when they were playing brilliantly before the season was canceled due to the pandemic. As soon as bầu Đức announced that they would use homegrown young players for the V-League 2025/26, experts and fans predicted a tough season for them. That prediction turned out to be correct.

Perhaps HAGL wants to use young players for some long-term goal. However, from the perspective of a single season, HAGL is immediately suffering the consequences of being "too young." Currently, about half of the squad consists of young players, many with less than three years of V-League experience. While this policy has nurtured talents like Trung Kiên, Lý Đức, Quang Kiệt, and Minh Tâm, in a fierce relegation battle, youth often comes with a lack of composure and experience.

Don’t forget that even when HAGL once had players like Công Phượng, Xuân Trường, Minh Vương, and Văn Toàn, they still always found themselves near the bottom of the table each season. Their best results came only after recruiting Thai stars like Kiatisuk, Dusit, Sakda, and Tawan. "Youth is not wisdom"—the old saying holds true. It’s too early to say HAGL will be relegated, but the undeniable reality is that they frequently hover at the bottom of the standings. If they survive, it would already be lucky.

The remaining two rounds of fixtures for Becamex TP.HCM and HAGL are far from easy. HAGL faces a huge challenge as they host CLB Hà Nội in round 25, while the team from Thủ Dầu Một meets the new champions CAHN. The chances of HAGL and Becamex TP.HCM earning points against CLB Hà Nội and CAHN are likely uncertain and reliant on luck. Suppose both SHB Đà Nẵng and PVF CAND take full six points in the remaining two rounds; in that case, Becamex TP.HCM and HAGL might have to play a "do-or-die" match at Gò Đậu Stadium to decide who stays and who goes. A scenario neither HAGL nor Becamex TP.HCM probably ever imagined.

Once, the duo of Gỗ and Gốm shone brightly in the V-League, like "swallows flying together in pairs." But now, if the team from Thủ Dầu Một or the team from the Mountain City gets relegated or has to play in the playoffs, it would be nothing unusual.