Nam Dinh Club trades V.League for international achievements

The ambition to "make it big" in the international arena helped them thrive at AFC, but also made the Southern team lose steam in V.League.

Big ambitions, big price

Entering the 2025/26 season, Nam Dinh does not hide its ambition to reach regional level. Under coach Vu Hong Viet, the team will compete on four fronts at the same time: V.League, National Cup, C2 Asian Cup and Southeast Asian Club Championship - an unprecedented challenge in the club's history.

After 10 matches in all competitions, Nam Dinh won 5, drew 1 and lost 4 - not a bad number for a team that has to split its strength in four directions. The problem is the clear difference between the two fronts: when in AFC, they started impressively with two consecutive wins, scoring 4 goals and only conceding 1; while in V.League, Vu Hong Viet and his team slipped with a series of 4 winless matches (1 draw, 3 losses), falling to 9th place out of 14.

“We are having to divide our strength into many arenas. The current priority is to maintain physical strength and stable performance for the international group,” coach Vu Hong Viet admitted after the third consecutive defeat in round 7 of the V.League.

That short sentence fully reflects Nam Dinh's situation: they are not weak, but are paying the price for greater aspirations.

The ambition to “reach Asia” was materialized by Nam Dinh Club strongly strengthening its foreign force right from the beginning of the season. According to statistics from various sources, the current squad has nearly 15 foreign players - accounting for nearly 40% of the team. This is a rare high ratio in a V.League club, clearly showing the direction of playing big in the regional arena.

Names like Caique, Dijks Mitchell, Lucas Silva, Caio Cesar, Eid Mahmoud, Walber, Percy Tau or Kristoffer Hansen became pillars in international matches. They brought speed, power and sharpness that Vietnamese football rarely had, helping Nam Dinh play on equal terms with regional opponents.

However, that brilliant achievement obscures another reality: Nam Dinh’s domestic players are exhausted. The tight schedule forces Vietnamese players to travel and compete almost continuously. Even those who rarely play cannot avoid physical fatigue and psychological stress.

The domestic squad is still the familiar framework: Nguyen Manh, Duong Thanh Hao, Hong Duy, Van Kien, Van Vi, Van Cong, Hoang Anh... along with new recruits such as Lam Ti Phong, A Mit, Dang Van Toi, Ngo Duc Huy. Most of them are 28-30 years old, experienced but no longer as energetic as before.

The competition schedule of 3 matches per week makes it impossible for many key players to maintain high performance. The reserve force is not of enough quality to rotate, causing Nam Dinh to face the risk of running out of steam on both fronts.

Balance or trade-off?

Obviously, coach Vu Hong Viet is in a tightrope: maintain the results in V.League or focus on the continent? When asked about the club's priorities, he said frankly: "The difficulty is to balance the two goals, but we are willing to sacrifice part of the V.League to make things happen in AFC".

It was a bold statement, but it also reflected the current strategy. Nam Dinh understood that achievements in the international arena could bring a much greater image and value than a few rankings in the domestic league. However, the price of that trade-off is the risk of a decline in domestic performance - something the club cannot ignore if it does not want to be caught up in the relegation race when the season is past the halfway mark.

Amid the whirlwind of the competition schedule, the upcoming mid-season transfer window will be an important opportunity for Nam Dinh to refresh their squad. The top priority is to add personnel to the defense and domestic attack positions - which are lacking competitiveness and depth. If not reinforced, Nam Dinh risks losing strength in the second phase, when V.League enters its most intense period.

After 10 matches, Nam Dinh’s achievements are still remarkable. They are representing Vietnamese football in the AFC Challenge League, and that is a great source of pride. But in order for the journey to “reach Asia” not to become a double-edged sword, the club needs more - from depth of force, reasonable rotation strategy, to the ability to maintain the physical strength of the whole team.

Nam Dinh are living in the busiest season in history, between the desire to assert their position and the harsh reality of modern football. They may not have reached glory, but they have reached their limit - and it is there that the mettle of a great team will be truly tested.

Source: https://znews.vn/clb-nam-dinh-danh-doi-vleague-lay-thanh-tich-quoc-te-post1595351.html