Public Security Club (CAND) Kicks Off Season, Sets V-League Promotion Target

This morning in Hanoi, at the kick-off ceremony of the Public Security Club (CAND), a brief statement from new head coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng reminded me of the moment he sat quietly on the touchline during the 2026 National Cup final — when his Viettel side won through a corner kick, not through flamboyant football. Đức Thắng has never been a man of many words, but what he builds always speaks for him. And today, before the entire squad, he said simply: "We will be promoted. There is no other option." The context of the 2026-2027 season is truly special. CAND is not just a team wanting promotion — they are a team directly managed and invested by the Ministry of Public Security, with a public commitment from Minister Lương Tam Quang. This creates an invisible but very real pressure: it's not just about winning or losing on the pitch, but about the prestige of a ministry. In Vietnamese football, no First Division team has ever entered a season with such enormous expectations. And never has a First Division team had such strong financial and political resources. What truly interests me is not the promotion target — that's already clear. Rather, it's how Đức Thắng will build a playing style for a team considered the "super-rich" of the First Division. Looking at the squad list, I see a clear tactical picture: goalkeeper Nguyễn Đình Triệu — who has played in the V-League and the national team — will be the last line of security. The midfield duo of Minh Vương and Đỗ Phi Long brings calmness and rhythm. Up front, Lê Viktor — a Vietnamese-Czech player with European football foundations — along with Phạm Lý Đức, Phạm Minh Phúc and Thanh Nhàn creates multiple attacking options. But if you think CAND will play expansive attacking football, you have misunderstood Đức Thắng. Look back at Viettel's 2026 V-League title: that was a team with the best defensive record in the league, disciplined organization, and many goals from set pieces. Đức Thắng believes in solidity before beauty. In the First Division, where many opponents will sit deep, CAND will control possession patiently, waiting for the moment of explosion from a set piece or a transition. This is not football to be beautiful — this is football to be promoted. I remember an interesting detail: in the first match of the season, CAND will host Long An at home. This is considered a "must-win" match to build momentum. But I also remember that in Vietnamese football history, not a few highly-rated teams have stumbled in their opening match due to complacency. The question is: can Đức Thắng keep his players grounded, amidst the increasingly dense sky of expectations? One aspect that troubles me is the relationship between CAND and Hưng Yên Club — the new team formed from the transfer of PVF-CAND. Both teams are in the First Division, and both have origins in the Ministry of Public Security. This raises governance questions: is there a conflict of interest? Will the VFF require clear separation between two clubs with the same origin? In world football, multi-club ownership models (like Red Bull or City Football Group) can work if properly governed. But in Vietnam — where football governance is still young — this story needs close monitoring. I also want to mention something many might overlook: the transfer of PVF-CAND to Hưng Yên is actually a smart financial decision. By separating the youth team from CAND, the Ministry of Public Security can focus its budget on the first team, while Hưng Yên — with PVF's continued involvement — handles youth development. This is a classic "clear the balance sheet" restructuring that I've seen at many European clubs. But it also means CAND loses its direct youth pipeline — a potential risk for the future. Financially, CAND operates on a "state-backed competitive advantage" model. No First Division team can compete with the Ministry of Public Security's resources. This creates a significant imbalance in the league — a kind of "PSG of the First Division." But it also raises the question: is this model sustainable long-term? If the Ministry changes its political priorities, the club's fate could change overnight. One thing I'm certain about: CAND's presence in the First Division will change the league's landscape. Small clubs with limited budgets will face a team capable of recruiting V-League-caliber players to play in the First Division. This could create a two-tier league: CAND and everyone else. But it could also motivate other teams to invest more heavily, raising the overall quality of the league. I still remember the words of a veteran fan I once interviewed: "Football is not read by the score, but by the heartbeat of the hearts in the stands." With CAND, those hearts are beating very fast. They are waiting for a historic season — not just promotion, but affirming the status of a team with superior resources. But as I wrote in my empty-stadium diary during the pandemic days: every match is an unorchestrated poem. And CAND's poem this season will be written with the low notes of tactical discipline, the high notes of explosive moments, and the silent notes of nameless pressure. At today's ceremony, I saw Đức Thắng standing alone at the corner of the pitch, looking at the empty stands. He said nothing, but his eyes said everything. He knows this season is not just about promotion — it's about belief, about turning pressure into motivation, and about proving that Vietnamese football can have diverse development models. When the pitch no longer has cheering, we can hear the sigh of football. And today, I heard that sigh — a sigh full of expectation, full of pressure, but also full of belief. CAND will enter the season as the number one candidate for promotion. But football never rewards those who are most highly rated — it rewards those who know how to overcome pressure. And the biggest question of this season is not "Will CAND be promoted?" but "Does CAND have enough character to carry the weight of a ministry, of a national expectation, and of their own honor?" I will follow them throughout this season. Not because they are rich, not because they are backed by power — but because I want to see whether a team with all the advantages can learn football's most valuable lesson: that nothing on the pitch comes naturally. Everything must be earned with sweat, tears, and heart. And in the world of football, there is nothing fairer than that. As I left the ceremony, I remembered my own words from the summer 2026 controversy: "Controversy cannot kill football — it only forces us to write more accurately and more truthfully." This season, CAND will write their story. And all of us — lovers of Vietnamese football — will read it together. Will it be a poem about glory, or an epic about bitter lessons? Only the pitch can answer. And as I've said many times: football is not read by the score, but by the heartbeat of the hearts in the stands. Let us listen to that heartbeat together.