2026-2027 National Cup: Four V-League defeats and the survival equation

Last weekend, I stood in the technical area at Quy Nhon Stadium, where Hoang Anh Gia Lai have borrowed a temporary home. Pleiku is renovating its pitch because drainage is poor, so the familiar colors of the mountain-town team appeared in a coastal city without many home fans. When the referee was about to whistle, I noticed Hung Yen players standing closer together and talking more, while the red-shirted players walked slowly. That was the moment I knew the match would not be controlled by the home side. Not because Hung Yen were faster, but because they were dancing in the right rhythm. Rhythm is not in the feet; it is in where people stand before the ball arrives. When the ball rolled, it became clear. Hung Yen led 3-1 from the 77th minute, then allowed the hosts to make it 2-3 from a penalty in the 90+4 minute. At a temporary home, Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost to a hungry First Division side. That was only one of four defeats suffered by V-League clubs in the 2026-2027 National Cup qualifying round. Eight matches were played over the weekend, and four V-League teams lost; three of them lost at home. Thanh Hoa lost 0-2 to Becamex TP.HCM. Hai Phong lost 0-1 to Steel Can Tho. Hong Linh Ha Tinh drew 0-0 with Phu Tho before losing 2-3 on penalties. Bac Ninh were the only V-League side to beat a First Division team in this group, winning 3-2 at Long An. The four defeats shared a common context: V-League clubs do not treat the National Cup as a priority, while First Division clubs see it as a chance to cause an upset and feed their promotion ambitions. Thanh Hoa are the clearest example of calculated indifference. The team from Thanh Hoa only knew they still existed right before the 2026-2027 V-League began. The squad had been weakened, with not enough money to keep key players. Before facing Becamex TP.HCM, they also received a FIFA request to pay more than $305,000, roughly 8 billion VND, to Jamaican striker Rimario Gordon. If the case is not settled within 45 days from the document dated September 16, Thanh Hoa will be banned from registering new players for three transfer windows. The problem is that the debt belongs to the old sponsor’s term, while the club has already been handed over to a new sponsor. A club carrying a transfer ban cannot put all its energy into the National Cup. Becamex TP.HCM took full advantage. They had just been relegated to the First Division, had a squad no weaker than the home side, and played with more determination. The 2-0 win was not difficult. Hoang Anh Gia Lai had their own sorrow. This season the mountain-town club have a weaker squad than last season, and their survival race started with two straight V-League defeats. Facing Hung Yen at Quy Nhon was a tough test, because Hung Yen were full of ambition. Coach Le Quang Trai probably saw the script. When the home side fell behind 1-3, the substitutes had little to say. The 90+4 penalty that made it 2-3 was only consolation. Losing early in the National Cup could actually be the right medicine for Hoang Anh Gia Lai to focus on V-League. Their mental state is fragile. They need to survive before thinking about reputation. Hai Phong lost 0-1 to Steel Can Tho at home. Steel Can Tho had just moved from Quang Ninh to Can Tho and lost their opening First Division match, but this time they played differently. Striker Thaileon, who joined only a few days earlier, scored the only goal in the first half. That is the kind of goal from a team living in a new rhythm. Hai Phong, meanwhile, saved their energy for a longer goal. Their V-League start was not terrible with one win and one loss, so leaving the Cup early to avoid injuries is understandable. Hong Linh Ha Tinh did the same. Drawing 0-0 with Phu Tho and then losing on penalties was a soft exit, but it reduced fixture congestion. Looking from the dressing room, the atmosphere was not as gloomy as many thought. Outside observers may call these four defeats a shock. But based on my experience following matches, these were signals already visible. First Division clubs in Vietnam are no longer absolute underdogs. They lack fame but not determination. While V-League opponents worry about money, stadiums and survival, they are ready to play as if it were the last match of their career. The biggest misunderstanding from the outside is that a club in a higher division always has better quality. In reality, quality only appears when there is rhythm and financial safety. A club receiving documents from FIFA cannot play with the same energy as a club that only needs to think about football. The Japanese taught me that sadness also has a pause, and that pause is not empty. In that quiet space, players realize where their club is heading. These defeats are not the end. For Thanh Hoa, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hai Phong and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, this is how they choose to survive. The National Cup is a perfect place for First Division clubs to create fairy tales, while V-League clubs need to count every dong for the relegation fight. The next chapter lies in the transfer windows: who gets registered, who has to leave, and whether Thanh Hoa’s debt will be paid. In Vietnamese football, rhythm is now controlled by budget. Those who step slowly while opponents panic will be the ones staying in the best playground.