Thanh Hoa FC's New Season: From 18 Players to 'High Position' Ambition – The Gamble of a New Owner

Numbers don't lie, but they know how to stay silent. And the number 18 – the total squad size Thanh Hoa had to manage in the 2026/26 season – is silently haunting. Now, that number has jumped to 30+, a change in quantity that doesn't necessarily come with a change in quality. But before discussing quality, let's look at the bigger picture: a club that nearly collapsed financially, now standing on the brink of rebirth under a new president – businessman Le Xuan Tuong. The context of this rebirth stems from a season of survival. With only 18 players, coach Mai Xuan Hop achieved what was considered a miracle by finishing 11th – a result far exceeding all expectations amid the crisis. That campaign was built on defensive solidity and fighting spirit, but it also exposed the extreme fragility of the Thanh Hoa side. The arrival of Le Xuan Tuong – chairman of T-Group and Thang Long Export Mechanical Tools Joint Stock Company – is like a fresh breeze, promising more abundant financial resources. The clearest evidence is the registration list of 30+ players, including 26 domestic, 4 foreign, and 1 overseas Vietnamese player. Delving into the squad structure, I notice a clear tactical orientation: 2 foreign midfielders (Abdurakhmanov, Lovric Di Mateo) and 2 foreign strikers (Monteiro Martins, Guindo) indicate an ambition to play attacking football. The absence of a foreign center-back is a potential blind spot. In Vietnamese football, foreign players are often expected to make a difference in the final third, and allocating the entire 'foreign budget' to the attack is a gamble. It shows the coaching staff's trust in the domestic defense – those who proved their solidity last season – but it also means they will face immense pressure against the tall, physical foreign strikers of opponents. Using the overseas Vietnamese slot for Laotian international Damoth Thongkhamsavath is a smart regulatory move, but it also raises questions about his actual professional quality compared to a high-caliber overseas Vietnamese player. The biggest blind spot in this 'rebirth' story lies in sustainability. Expanding the squad from 18 to 30+ players almost certainly means a significant increase in the wage bill, especially with 4 foreign players. But what are the club's revenue streams? The article doesn't mention any sponsorship or commercial deals. If Le Xuan Tuong's investment is merely a short-term campaign for personal or corporate branding, Thanh Hoa could face an even worse crisis than last season. Dependence on a 'benefactor' is a chronic disease of Vietnamese football, and Thanh Hoa's story is a prime example. Recruiting foreign players from 'value' markets like Uzbekistan (Abdurakhmanov) or West Africa (Guindo) indicates a limited budget, a cost-saving strategy that is also full of quality risks. The opening match against SHB Da Nang at home on September 6 is a crucial test. A victory would fuel the flames of optimism, while a defeat could spark criticism aimed at the new leadership. I have followed Vietnamese football long enough to know that fan patience is very short-lived. The declaration of 'determination to achieve the highest results' in both the V-League and the National Cup is a double-edged sword. It creates expectations, and if unmet, pressure will weigh heavily on coach Mai Xuan Hop – who, despite doing very well last season, could still become the first 'scapegoat'. The question is not whether Thanh Hoa can improve on 11th place, but whether that improvement will be enough to appease rising expectations and whether the new financial resources are sustainable enough to maintain this development momentum in the long term. The stands are empty, I hear the footsteps of space – and the space Thanh Hoa is creating for themselves this season is very wide, but also very fragile.