Dong Nai Tuoi School Club overcomes difficulties

Having stumbled in the opening match, the ambitious team Truong Tuoi Dong Nai was forced to defeat Van Hien University in round 2 of the 2025 - 2026 First Division.

Will Truong Tuoi Dong Nai have the joy of victory at Thong Nhat Stadium? - Photo: TTDN FC

This match takes place at 4pm today (September 27,FPT Play THTT) at Thong Nhat Stadium. And Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club is determined to win to confirm its leading position as a championship candidate.

Cong Phuong continues to be absent

In the previous round, at home, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club (TTDN) only drew 2-2 with Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, with 1 point at Quy Nhon United Club, the new recruit Van Hien University showed that they are not simple.

Even though they bought many good players this season to serve the promotion goal, Cong Phuong is still the brightest star of TTDN. But Cong Phuong's absence in the first two matches of the new season due to injury led to TTDN's undesirable start.

Until yesterday (September 26), Cong Phuong's muscle injury was still recovering quite slowly. The 30-year-old striker had to continue practicing separately, so the possibility of him being absent again was very high. This was bad news for coach Nguyen Viet Thang, in the context that the home team needed a player who could create a breakthrough, shake up the attack to find the first victory of the season.

Rookie Minh Vuong is proving that he is worth every penny of the transfer fee when he has scored 2 goals and 2 assists for Luu Tu Nhan in both the National Cup qualifying round and the first round of the 2025 - 2026 First Division. But the presence of Cong Phuong still makes a big difference for TTĐN and the fans every time this striker has the ball. Therefore, the challenge for coach Viet Thang is not small when he has to continue to build a playing style without Cong Phuong for the match that is predicted to be not easy against Van Hien University.

Waiting for coach Viet Thang's talent

Last season, coach Viet Thang led Ninh Binh Club to make history by winning the First Division Championship and a promotion ticket with a 20-match unbeaten streak (19 wins).

But this time leading TTDN Club is a big challenge, because TTDN squad does not have many stars like Ninh Binh last season. Most of the current key players of TTDN are 30 years old or older, so it is difficult to maintain form and fitness. The current level of injury recovery of Cong Phuong is a proof.

With what happened in round 1, the promotion race shows that it will not be easy because the three candidates that were considered stronger could not win.

Things got even more difficult for coach Viet Thang when rookie striker Ho Thanh Minh also left open the possibility of playing in the match against Van Hien University. In round 1, this former U23 player was not registered due to injury, leaving coach Viet Thang without many strikers to replace him.

Meanwhile, with many players who have played in the V-League or the First Division, Van Hien University played very confidently. Despite not having any foreign players, they still managed to hold the home team Quy Nhon United to a 1-1 draw, with foreign striker Thaileon scoring the opening goal.

Now that striker Jermie Lynch has recovered from his injury, Van Hien University will be even more formidable. Jermie Lynch has scored 34 goals in more than 70 matches in the V-League. Therefore, the First Division is not a problem for this Jamaican striker even though he is 34 years old. Therefore, defense is also something TTDN must consider before Van Hien University.

In terms of force balance, TTDN is clearly superior, but the pressure to win will be a big obstacle for them. Meanwhile, Van Hien University has nothing to worry about other than continuing to play well as they have shown. Therefore, they have to wait for the coaching talent of Coach Viet Thang, in the context of not having their best players.

On the evening of September 26, Hanoi Club beat Thanh Hoa 2-1 at Hang Day Stadium in the early match of round 5 of V-League 2025 - 2026.

Today (September 27), round 5 will have three matches: Song Lam Nghe An - Cong An TP.HCM (6:00 p.m., FPT Play THTT), Becamex TP.HCM - SHB Da Nang (6:00 p.m., FPT Play THTT), and PVF CAND - Hoang Anh Gia Lai (6:00 p.m., FPT Play THTT).

NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/clb-truong-tuoi-dong-nai-vuot-kho-20250927080022404.htm