Thanh Hoa's New Beginning: From 18 Men to Big Dreams and the Sustainability Puzzle

On the morning of September 4, at Thanh Hoa Stadium, I stood at my usual corner spot, where I've stood for 5 years in this profession. The departure ceremony was brief, but one detail caught my eye: new Chairman Le Xuan Tuong, who just took over the club from the previous owners, walked onto the pitch and shook hands with every single player. Not a ceremonial handshake, but the kind of handshake from someone who has calculated every number in the squad. When he reached naturalized Laotian midfielder Damoth Thongkhamsavath, he paused a few seconds longer. I knew then – this team is no longer the team of last season. The context of the 2026/26 season remains vivid in the memory of professionals like me. Thanh Hoa had only 18 registered players then, a number almost unheard of in modern V-League. They finished 11th, a result many called a miracle, but I call it the resilience of forgotten people. Coach Mai Xuan Hop had to rotate constantly, with no Plan B, not even a complete Plan A for each match. I remember a match at Lach Tray Stadium where Thanh Hoa had only 5 substitutes, including 2 goalkeepers. They played defensive counter-attacking football for all 90 minutes, accepting to surrender the game to preserve strength. That was survival football – not beautiful but effective. Now, everything has changed. 26 domestic players, 4 foreigners, and 1 overseas Vietnamese – 31 people in total on the registration list. This numerical change reflects a clear strategic decision: the club no longer wants to live in scarcity. But the number 31 also raises a bigger question: what is the quality of these new people, and can they integrate with the core players who fought so hard last season? Looking at the foreign player structure, I see a clear philosophy: 2 midfielders (Abdurakhmanov from Uzbekistan and Lovric Di Mateo from Croatia) and 2 strikers (Monteiro Martins from Brazil and Guindo, likely from West Africa). No foreign center-back, no foreign goalkeeper. This shows the coaching staff trusts the domestic defense, the players who proved their endurance in the harshest season. Nguyen Thanh Diep and Vu Tuyen Quang, two retained names, will be the last line of defense. This choice could be a double-edged sword: if the domestic defense continues to perform like last season, they'll be a fortress; but if opponents have big, strong foreign strikers, they might struggle. The most notable point in this transfer window is using the overseas Vietnamese slot for Damoth Thongkhamsavath, a Laos international. This is a smart regulatory move. V-League rules allow clubs to register players of Vietnamese heritage in a separate slot, not counting toward the foreign player quota. By placing a player who represents Laos in this slot, Thanh Hoa gains an attacking option without sacrificing a precious foreign slot. I've seen many Vietnamese clubs waste this overseas Vietnamese slot on nominal players, but Damoth seems like a genuine addition. He has pace, technique, and international experience – something Thanh Hoa lacked last season. However, I must be direct: recruiting foreigners from Uzbekistan and West Africa is a cost-saving strategy, not a quest for top quality. Top V-League clubs like Hanoi FC or Cong An Ha Noi spend heavily on Brazilian or European imports. Thanh Hoa, with limited budget, is seeking value in less competitive markets. This could bring pleasant surprises, but also carries significant risk. If Abdurakhmanov or Guindo fails to adapt to Vietnamese football, Thanh Hoa won't have the financial capacity for mid-season corrections. Thanh Hoa's financial story deserves thorough examination. Last season, the club faced severe financial difficulties, shrinking the squad to 18 players. The arrival of businessman Le Xuan Tuong – Chairman of T-Group and Thang Long Instruments Joint Stock Company – is a positive signal. Expanding the squad from 18 to 30+ players is the most concrete evidence that new capital has been injected. But I've been in this profession long enough to know that Vietnamese football is full of stories about wealthy owners who withdrew after one season. The biggest question isn't how much money Thanh Hoa has today, but whether T-Group has a long-term commitment to the club. One thing that gives me some reassurance is the retention of Coach Mai Xuan Hop. In Vietnamese football, every ownership change brings coaching staff upheaval. Keeping Coach Hop shows the new Chairman understands the value of stability. This coach performed a miracle with 18 players last season – he deserves the chance to work with a fuller squad. But precisely because of that, the pressure on him will be greater. No more excuses for poor results. With a 31-man squad, with investment from the new chairman, Thanh Hoa must improve their standing. If not, Coach Hop will be the first to go. The opening match against SHB Da Nang at home on September 6 is a critical test. SHB Da Nang is a mid-table team, not too strong but not easily beaten. A victory would energize the whole team, confirming positive expectations. Conversely, a loss could trigger the first criticisms aimed at the new Chairman and the new foreign players. I will be at the stadium observing, not just goals, but how new players integrate, how they get up after failed plays. There's something I believe many people misunderstand about Thanh Hoa this season. They think expanding the squad means the team will play more expansive, more beautiful attacking football. But I don't think so. I think Coach Mai Xuan Hop will maintain his solid defensive philosophy, but with more attacking options. The difference isn't in playing style, but in rotation capability, the ability to change game dynamics through quality substitutions. Last season, Coach Hop had no substitution power because there was no one to bring on. This season, he'll have bench players who can make a difference. That's the biggest change. Thanh Hoa's story reminds me of a lesson I've learned through 19 years of football observation: teams that rise from hardship often have a special spirit, but that spirit cannot replace squad quality. Last season, Thanh Hoa had spirit but no squad depth. This season, they have both. The question is whether they know how to combine them effectively. I'll closely follow the match against SHB Da Nang, but I'll also watch other things: how Damoth Thongkhamsavath moves off the ball, how Abdurakhmanov handles pressure from the stands, how Guindo reacts when brutally fouled. To me, those are the real signals of a team rebuilding from the ashes. People may forget the names of these new players in a few years, but they won't forget how Thanh Hoa stood up after the 18-player season. That's the story I want to tell, not because it's glamorous, but because it's true. The dressing room doesn't lie. It just stays quiet enough for you to hear the truth. And the truth at Thanh Hoa right now is: they have an opportunity, but that opportunity is more fragile than many people think. Moscow has snow, Hai Phong has sea wind. Thanh Hoa has the Lao wind blowing through. Football brings all three into one story of resilience. I come to the stadium not just to see who scores, but to see who stands up after a missed shot. For Thanh Hoa, this season is a big shot. And I believe, they will stand up.