HAGL hopes that Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh will 'break the jinx' against coach Harry Kewell

The V-League 2025/26 survival battle is reaching its most intense phase. In the group of four last-placed teams, HAGL (23 points) ranks highest at 11th, yet the pressure they face is just as immense as that of last-placed PVF CAND (18 points). The return of Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh to HAGL at this moment has caught many eyes.

The Mountain Town teamhas a fragile gap with its chasing rivals, which could completely collapse after just one matchday.

The fixture list ofHAGLis considered one of the toughest, as they must face a team hungry for medals and still fully motivated—Ha Noi FC—in the penultimate round.

In a precarious situation, HAGL has called on "relegation survival expert" Vu Tien Thanh. He left his role as technical director at Ninh Binh to return to the Mountain Town to assist coach Le Quang Trai for the final two rounds of the season.

This is not merely a professional reinforcement; it is also a signal that HAGL is genuinely very worried about the risk of falling into the most dangerous group.

But ironically, it is Vu Tien Thanhwho suffered a painful loss to coach Harry Kewell in round 20 earlier this season. At that time, Thanh was working for Ninh Binh, and Ha Noi FC won a thrilling 3-2 victory right on the ancient capital team's home ground.

That match demonstrated Ha Noi FC's big-team mentality and coach Harry Kewell's considerable ability. That defeat raises questions for Mr. Thanh: whether HAGL can truly stand up to Ha Noi FC in this season's pivotal match.

Ha Noi FC has no retreat. They are in the top three but extremely vulnerable under pressure from Ninh Binh. A single slip in Pleiku could knock coach Harry Kewell's side out of medal contention. In that context, Ha Noi FC will certainly play as if it's a final. They have stronger squad, more experience, and especially the mentality of a team that has won the V-League many times.

Inaccurate calculations, plus the inconsistent form of the young players, have pushed Bau Duc's team into a difficult position. What is noteworthy is thatHAGLis having to sacrifice its entire youth development plan.

After Ha Noi FC, ahead ofHAGLlies a "reverse final" against Becamex TP.HCM in the final round. The team from Thu land is currently only 2 points behind HAGL and is also struggling. Given that Becamex TP.HCM will be away to CLB Cong an Ha Noi exactly on the day the capital team receives the championship trophy in this round, the likelihood of coach Hua Hien Vinh's side ending empty-handed is very high.

That means the final round at Binh Duong stadium could become a decisive battle for the entire season's fate.

Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh has succeeded many times in relegation battles with Sai Gon FC, CLB TP.HCM, and HAGL itself. He is known for being pragmatic, tenacious, and skilled at navigating adversity. But this time the situation is different because HAGL consists mostly of young players who may be affected by psychological pressure.

The V-League is entering its final days, and HAGL is clearly the team facing the heaviest pressure.

In this survival race, Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh will have to prove that his defeat to Harry Kewell in round 20 was just an "accident".