PVF-CAND Club steps up to V-League for the first time
As reported by Thanh Nien Newspaper, after Quang Nam Club decided to withdraw from the tournament and Truong Tuoi Dong Nai refused to play in V-League, the opportunity to participate in the highest level of Vietnamese football was given to PVF-CAND Club. It is possible that Coach Thach Bao Khanh and his team will accept the offer to enter the V-League for the first time in history.
Since entering the first division in 2019 under the name Pho Hien Club (later changed to PVF-CAND), the team headquartered at the PVF Youth Football Training Center has played in the first division for 7 seasons, winning runner-up twice in 2019 and 2023-2024, but both times lost in the play-off matches. In 2019, the team then named Pho Hien lost to Thanh Hoa in the match for a ticket to the 2020 V-League. In the 2023-2024 season, PVF-CAND lost to Ha Tinh in the play-off match.
PVF-CAND (red shirt) finished third in first place 2024 - 2025
PHOTO: PVF-CAND Club
However, PVF-CAND's contribution to Vietnamese football cannot be denied. Whether at the U.23, U.20 or U.17 level, Vietnam's youth teams always have at least 3 to 4 players wearing PVF-CAND shirts. Possessing a philosophy of prioritizing young players, building a modern style of control play... PVF-CAND is a "strange wind" in the first division. Although PVF-CAND was not strong enough to win a ticket to the V-League in previous seasons because the player base was too young and inexperienced, when the opportunity suddenly opens, this can become a launching pad for coach Thach Bao Khanh and his team to take off.
PVF-CAND currently has 3 players playing for Vietnam U.23, including Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen Hieu Minh and Vo Anh Quan. Except for Anh Quan who played for Ninh Binh on loan last season, both Xuan Bac and Hieu Minh are PVF-CAND's mainstays.
Midfielder Xuan Bac played 22 matches for PVF-CAND last season (15 as a starter), scoring 3 goals. Center back Hieu Minh played 18 matches, winning the best young player award in the first division. Unfortunately, a familiar face of PVF-CAND, striker Nguyen Thanh Nhan, was absent due to injury. Thanh Nhan used to play for the Vietnamese national team, playing in the match against Iraq (November 2024), when he was only 21 years old.
PVF-CAND is a team with potential.
PHOTO: PVF-CAND Club
Whether PVF-CAND Club is successful or not in V-League, the presence of young players also brings joy to Coach Kim Sang-sik. The V-League environment is very different from the first division, where Xuan Bac and Hieu Minh will face great challenges from national players or foreign players, thereby becoming more mature, having more resilience to contribute to U.23 Vietnam in the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers or SEA Games 33.
What more does PVF-CAND need?
However, the current young force cannot guarantee the future for PVF-CAND if they agree to play in the V-League.
In the play-off match against Ha Tinh at the end of the 2023 - 2024 season, PVF-CAND opened the score, dominating the V-League representative. However, the team coached by Mr. Mauro Jeronimo at that time was defeated due to lack of experience. The main player helping Ha Tinh turn the tide was veteran Nguyen Trong Hoang, who is 35 years old and has a superior experience compared to the "young" team of PVF-CAND.
In a tough playground like V-League, youth alone is not enough to break through. The lesson of HAGL and SLNA is still "hot". Even a team with great potential to buy people like The Cong Viettel has struggled with the race for achievements in the past 5 years. This is a lesson that PVF-CAND needs to pay attention to. Coach Thach Bao Khanh's team has played in the first division for too long, and when promoted to V-League, Thanh Nhan and his teammates need time to "transform".
In the next few days, PVF-CAND will hold a team meeting to agree on direction and personnel. If they decide to play in the V-League, the team can add some veteran and experienced faces to supplement the experience of the younger generation. In addition, if they are willing to "spend a lot" on quality foreign players, PVF-CAND will have a more balanced force to withstand the storms of the V-League.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phien-ban-u23-viet-nam-thu-nho-cua-pvf-cand-co-the-bung-no-ov-league-185250803190844537.htm
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