HAGL version 2.0: Not dreaming of playing as beautifully as in Cong Phuong's time, but will...

HAGL is being built on a new philosophy that is more pragmatic and suitable for the current young generation.

The transformation of HAGL

After saying goodbye to 4 core members including Minh Vuong, Quang Nho, Ngoc Quang, Bao Toan, HAGL is preparing to enter a new cycle. The young generation of courses 1, 2 and 3 of HAGL JMG and the gifted class have left Pleiku Arena one after another, forcing the mountain town team to reform both in terms of personnel and playing style.

Regarding personnel, the duo of coach Le Quang Trai and technical director Vu Tien Thanh have been preparing since last season, when they continuously promoted young players to the first team. The maturity of goalkeeper Trung Kien and central defender Ly Duc (2003) is the first "sweet fruit" of this rejuvenation decision. Both are regular starters in the V-League, have been called up to the national team, and are currently the most experienced faces in the U.23 Vietnam team.

HAGL says goodbye to long-time players

PHOTO: HAGL Club

Along with that, young players like Gia Bao (2008), Moses (2005), Quang Kiet (2007), Minh Tien (2005), Hoang Minh (2003)... also had the opportunity to show their talent. Gia Bao made history when he became the youngest player to score in the V-League (16 years old) and became a mainstay of the U.17 Vietnam team, or Quang Kiet was called up by coach Kim Sang-sik to try out for the U.23 Vietnam team. In the most recent friendly match with Libolo (former champion of the Angolan national championship), HAGL continued to introduce many young players. These are the faces that will carry the mountain town team in the coming years.

Besides the young players trained at HAGL Academy who are about to inherit the senior generation, the team at Pleiku Arena will also change their playing philosophy.

Exactly 10 years ago, when Mr. Duc promoted the generation of Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Tuan Anh, Van Thanh, Van Toan, Hong Duy (HAGL JMG courses 1 and 2) to the first team, HAGL was oriented to play beautifully, play in control and attack with passes and passes, just like the philosophy of this generation of players in the U.19 team. However, the harsh reality of the V-League soon showed that the beautiful and smooth passing style that HAGL built was not "strange" enough to bring victory.

After 6 years of struggle, HAGL was awakened by coach Kiatisak Senamuang. With a deep understanding of Vietnamese football and imbued with HAGL's spirit, "Thai Zico" restructured HAGL according to a new philosophy: tighter defense, more pressing, focusing on lightning-fast, sharper and more quality counterattacks. The result of the "transformation" process was the top spot in V-League 2021 after 12 rounds, before the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.

What future awaits HAGL?

PHOTO: KHA HOA

In the 2022 season, Kiatisak's HAGL drew with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (then the reigning Korean champions) and beat Sydney FC (Australia's runner-up) in the AFC Champions League. That shows that, if properly oriented, the mountain town team can still make a difference. Over the past 4 years, HAGL has no longer stubbornly pursued a flamboyant style of play that is too dreamy but unrealistic, but has adjusted to better suit the context of the V-League.

More practical

Under the leadership of coach Le Quang Trai and technical director Vu Tien Thanh, HAGL is changing. The players are trained in physical fitness, with clear technology and scientific research to calculate performance.

When he first took over HAGL as coach, Mr. Vu Tien Thanh urged the players to run more, fight more fiercely, and to rush into the fight as soon as they lost the ball, instead of just standing around and watching.

HAGL focuses more on defense, ready to play tight, lurking and waiting for the right moment. A paradox at HAGL is that in the past, the mountain town team trained many good midfielders and strikers, but now the potential factors are more concentrated in the defense line. That is because defense is more important, with tight formation, good thinking and fighting for the ball.

Can the young generation take over HAGL?

PHOTO: HAGL Club

The growth of Trung Kien and Ly Duc is a testament to HAGL's potential. With the orientation of prioritizing "homegrown" players, HAGL will have an advantage in building a consistent philosophy from the youth team to the first team. Currently, HAGL's training philosophy focuses on training fighting spirit, bravery and team spirit, so that the whole team plays together and aims for a unified goal.

Of course, the chosen route forces HAGL to wait patiently. The glory of V-League seems to belong only to teams with the potential to recruit stars from other teams. The flow seems to have "abandoned" teams that only rely on self-trained forces such as HAGL and SLNA.

The road ahead for HAGL is full of thorns. How to move forward with the younger generation is a question that coach Le Quang Trai needs time to answer.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-phien-ban-20-khong-mo-da-dep-nhu-thoi-cong-phuong-ma-se-185250711101516339.htm