Ho Chi Minh City has 4 teams playing in the first division, but the promotion to V-League is likely to belong to...

Ho Chi Minh City Football has 4 clubs participating in the first division next season, but quantity does not match quality.

Ho Chi Minh City football has many first division clubs.

Vietnam's professional football system (focusing on V-League and first division) is recording many football teams with the same name as Ho Chi Minh City, or with headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City.

In V-League, Becamex Binh Duong Club has officially changed its name to Becamex TP.HCM. Meanwhile, TP.HCM Club has changed its name to Ho Chi Minh City Police Club. The team nicknamed "Red Battleship" will wear the heroic shirt of the former Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, and at the same time promises significant changes in the upper echelons.

In the first division, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Club will change its name to Ho Chi Minh City Club (because Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has merged and become a part of Ho Chi Minh City Club). Coincidentally, 2 of the 4 rookie teams in the first division this season, including Van Hien University and Gia Dinh, are also from Ho Chi Minh City. Together with the Ho Chi Minh City Youth team that has been playing in the first division since last season, football in the city named after Uncle Ho will have 4 clubs in the first division: Ho Chi Minh City Club, Ho Chi Minh City Youth, Gia Dinh and Van Hien University.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau Club changed its name to Ho Chi Minh City Club

PHOTO: VPF

This is the first time a professional football team and a youth team with the same name (HCMC Club and HCMC Youth) play in the same league.

Previously, there were main teams and youth teams participating in the Vietnamese professional football system, but playing in different divisions. Da Nang Club played in the V-League and Da Nang Youth played in the first division, or Hanoi played in the V-League, while Hanoi B played in the first division.

However, the story of Ho Chi Minh City Club and Ho Chi Minh City Youth is different in that: these are two unrelated teams. Ho Chi Minh City Club was formerly Ba Ria - Vung Tau, with many young faces trained at the former Juventus Vietnam Academy. Ho Chi Minh City Youth Team is a product of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, in combination with the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation and the Lyon Vietnam Academy.

When quantity does not go with quality

Although there are 4 teams playing in the first division, it is difficult for Ho Chi Minh City football team to have a representative win a ticket to V-League promotion this season.

The problem of Gia Dinh and Van Hien University lies in experience and... funding. Both have just come up from the second division, have a small squad of players, and do not have the battle spirit to compete in the long run.

Although the number of players in Ho Chi Minh City Youth has potential, it is not enough to compete. The same is true for Ho Chi Minh City Club (formerly Ba Ria - Vung Tau), which has a force that is only at the middle level of the first division. Last season, Ho Chi Minh City Youth ranked 4th with 23 points, but was 20 points behind the 3rd place team PVF-CAND. Ho Chi Minh City Club, when still called Ba Ria - Vung Tau, was even second to last with 18 points, only 2 points ahead of Hue (bottom of the table).

Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club (yellow shirt) has difficulty competing for promotion

PHOTO: VPF

The V-League promotion race is likely to belong to teams with experienced and seasoned squads such as Binh Phuoc and PVF-CAND.

Binh Dinh Club, after keeping some key players, and being "reinforced" by HAGL with young players, is also a potential candidate for promotion. Not to mention, there are also Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh who are willing to invest heavily, and also have experienced players.

The promotion race will be open in the first division, when the champion and runner-up teams will win 2 direct tickets to the V-League (instead of 1 direct ticket and 1 play-off ticket as before).

The 2024-2025 First Division has 14 teams, starting from September 19.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tphcm-co-4-doi-da-hang-nhat-nhung-suat-len-v-league-nhieu-kha-nang-thuoc-ve-185250715065118831.htm