Thanh Hoa Club won 1-0 against Hanoi Police in round 2 of V.League 2024-2025.
Speaking after the match, coach Velizar Popov said: “The players have trained very hard for this match. The players’ spirit is very good, and their physical strength is also impressive.
Thanh Hoa team did not leave any space for the opponent to play, the players followed the defensive strategy, patiently waited and lurked for the opportunity to score.
Mr. Popov continued: “I am not surprised by this victory. We defeated Hanoi Police in the National Super Cup last season. I think this is a completely deserved victory for Thanh Hoa.
In the previous match, we failed to take advantage of our chances and lost. But this time, everything changed. The players performed better.”
Regarding the use of young players, coach Popov emphasized: “Thanh Hoa cannot use young players too much at the moment. The gap between them and the main players in a professional team is large.
I think, to give young players the opportunity to develop in the first team, we should only create conditions for 1-2 players. They will be able to compete and develop their abilities in a suitable environment.
But if a team uses 4-5 young players, competition will arise. In my opinion, we should not be greedy. It is reasonable to select and give opportunities to 1-2 young players.
The proof is in our squad, among about 10 young players, Thai Son alone is gradually reaching the same level as the main players. That also comes from the fact that I only prioritize choosing 1-2 certain young players."
For his part, coach Mano Polking of Hanoi Police said: “It can be said that the situation of the match was a bit different before and after the heavy rain hit Hang Day Stadium.
The weather conditions prevented both teams from playing football. It was disappointing. The Hanoi Police tried their best to play the game the way they wanted. But we conceded an unexpected goal.
Now is the time for the team to put aside their sadness and regain their focus. Because in 5 days, the team will have a match in the Southeast Asian Club Football Championship.
Mr. Polking added: “Dinh Bac is a fast, strong, and skillful player. In the second half, Dinh Bac showed his ability and won many one-on-one battles. He needs more time to improve. I believe he will be an important player for the team in the future.”
The Brazilian coach said: “Regarding Alan, this player is receiving intensive treatment and will return soon. Temporarily, Dinh Bac is playing as a striker while Leo Artur is playing as a number 10 player. It is true that Hanoi Police are having a hard time without Alan. Hopefully he will return to the field soon.”
Regarding the use of young players, Mr. Polking expressed his opinion: “The team needs a certain balance. We have good, quality domestic players.
The team itself needs time, to refocus and look for the next victory. I think the current strength of the team, from young players to mature players, from domestic to foreign, all have the necessary stability."
