At the end of June, Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc Club (new name is Truong Tuoi Dong Nai) met SHB Da Nang in the play-off match for a ticket to V.League 2025-2026. After a long season of efforts in the First Division, that was the time when they were most hungry for a ticket to the highest level of Vietnamese football. And they fell in front of heaven...
Just over a month later, when the plan and preparation for the 2025-2026 First Division season were in the final stages, suddenly, due to unprofessional reasons, the V.League ticket kicked the door again. People thought that the team's leaders would not miss this opportunity, however, the response was a refusal. Ticket for PVF-CAND.
The question is, is Truong Tuoi Dong Nai... rabid? Yes, in some aspects. But experts can positively look at this refusal. First, from the loss to SHB Da Nang - the team ranked second to last in V.League 2024-2025, to make them realize that the real strength is not ready for V.League. That shows where they are.
Second, the goal that the team is aiming for is to "sustainable development on a solid foundation", building a "professional, unique" team, then following a step-by-step process is reasonable. I just hope that the team's leaders, coaching staff, and fans will persevere with that goal, even if the path to V.League becomes more difficult.
For PVF-CAND - the 3rd place team in the 2024-2025 First Division, the invitation to participate in the V.League is also worth noting, even though the preparation work is very urgent. The fact that many young players are allowed to play regularly in the V.League will benefit the U23 Team, the national team, but at the same time help them know where they are in the top competition of domestic football.
In recent days, the news of overseas Vietnamese player Martin Lo retiring at the age of 28 has also received much attention. Some people praised, some criticized his footballing prowess, but that was not important. The important thing is that for Martin Lo personally, he knows his stop when "my goals and values are no longer suitable for the path that football is bringing" - as he wrote on his personal page.
Sometimes I need to slow down a little, seeing where I am more important than just rushing with all the pressure without finding a way out.
