V-League 2025/26: The Shadow of the King

The shadow of the "king" has flickered at CAHN. Conversely, the Lao wind truly scorches the Central region as SLNA, Hong Tinh Ha Tinh, HAGL, Thanh Hoa, and SHB Da Nang are all facing difficulties.

The tournament is approaching its final stretch, with all attention focused on the relegation battle as 5-7 clubs remain unsafe. Clearly, this year's V-League relegation race is truly intense. Teams at the bottom are exerting maximum effort to escape. For instance, Ho Chi Minh City Police, a team that once competed for the championship, theoretically still faces relegation risk. Even Nam Dinh and Hai Phong, ranked 5th and 6th, are not secure. SLNA and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, with inconsistent performances, remain in the vortex. Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, HAGL, and Thanh Hoa are slipping each round, while PVF-CAND and SHB Da Nang persistently "stagnate."

Currently, the most suffocating situation belongs to SHB Da Nang, anchored at the bottom with only 12 points. Each remaining match for the Han River team is a "life-or-death" battle to stay in V-League. Every mistake costs an entire season. With no retreat, SHB Da Nang must grit their teeth and fight with the fiercest spirit to save their own fate.

Fortunately for SHB Da Nang, though weakest, hope is not exhausted considering the remaining match schedule. In the 7 matches from now to season end, coach Le Duc Tuan's team faces opponents also struggling for points like Ho Chi Minh City Police, Hong Linh Ha Tinh, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Hoa. Winning these "six-point" matches keeps SHB Da Nang's chance to stay in V-League "bright."

Despite having an advantage within the bottom group, Hong Linh Ha Tinh must certainly cherish each match, as losing points in a few games could change the situation due to the squad lacking depth for breakthroughs. Similarly, with only 18 points and a U21-U23 squad, HAGL cannot forever rely on home matches to accumulate points and enter the safe group. A bit higher, SLNA also faces many worrying issues as morale cannot compensate for the lack of match experience among most young personnel.

Thanh Hoa is playing resiliently in a difficult situation. However, even when "looking sideways," difficulties still cannot spare the Thanh region team, entangled in non-professional matters and the departure of numerous key figures. Ranked second-to-last, PVF-CAND cannot quickly compensate for youthfulness while the burden of aging foreign players is limited.

Anything can happen in the remaining 7 rounds for the bottom group. The upcoming matches are predicted to be extremely fierce as everyone seeks a "move" in the endgame to find a "path to survival." Teams are doing everything to avoid relegation, from top-level changes to the "doping" of bonus incentives.

Teams are not only frantically changing coaches to alter fortunes but also "breaking the vault" to inject money for survival. This is a resource to "stimulate" player motivation. But from such "real cash" amounts, teams and players, if careless, can easily "get hit." Because such money injection is "doping" for one team but could also be "anesthesia" for another.

Thus, this battle will be extremely fierce and unpredictable. Unpredictable not only due to the teams' own efforts but also external factors influencing it. Teams racing to avoid relegation rely not only on "internal strength"; the most frightening aspect is the impact of "external forces" in this race.

For example, some teams with no objectives and already safe points easily become "point banks." Many reasons will explain losses given as "invitations to dine." Precisely teams in a no-objective state negatively affect this survival battle.

Thus, the V-League final stretch burns hot from professionalism to weather and even sidelines.