In recent years, Vietnamese football has witnessed great success in many aspects. Even the national team's achievements are not inferior to Thailand. However, it is necessary to recognize that football in the land of the Golden Temple still has more steady and certain progress than V.League.
There are concerns that the "bubble" will break with the Thai League after the lawsuit between the Football Association of Thailand and SiamSport broke out. But first of all, V.League still lost to Thai League in many aspects. According to quick statistics, the total value of players in V.League reached more than 47 million euros, while in Thai League 1, it reached nearly 76 million euros.
Just counting the match between Hanoi Police Club and Buriram United, the Thai representative has a squad value of up to 13 million euros. Meanwhile, coach Polking and his team are only valued at 5.4 million euros. Of course, the value of the squad is just an aspect to compare. The spread, image and commercial value of Thai League are of course rated higher.
Buriram United is even considered the "money printing machine" of the land of the Golden Temple. This team always has a large audience in the stands. Their commercial revenue, sponsorship, and shirt sales cannot be underestimated. Chairman Newin has gradually reduced his "pocket" investments as the club has developed further.
The correlation is like that, but rarely the Vietnamese and Thailand clubs have the opportunity to clash in official tournaments. The confrontation between the two football platforms mainly appears at national team levels. It was not until the AFF Club Championship (Southeast Asia Cup) took place, the opportunity for clubs to meet more new countries.
It is difficult to say that Vietnamese teams are keeping up with Buriram United. But for Hanoi Police, they have many reasons to play with the highest determination. It was the losses in some aspects that Quang Hai and his teammates could only compensate with their expertise and results on the pitch.
The story of V.League being able to "overthrow" the Thai League is still far away. But from a professional perspective, Hanoi Police are strong enough to defeat Buriram United, which many people acknowledge. In a match and in specific circumstances, Buriram United is not the "only winner".
Playing in Thailand has never been easy for Vietnamese teams. However, the Hanoi Police Club still has its own advantages. If they have another championship away from home, Vietnamese football will be considered a "comprehensive victory" for Thailand in 2025.
