CAND sets V-League promotion target: A poem starts behind a closed press-conference door

Before the opening First Division match on September 11, at CAND's stadium, coach Nguyen Duc Thang leaned toward goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu and said: 'Keep a clean sheet, goals will come.' Thang knows that success in a promotion campaign comes from discipline, not glamour. CAND have restructured after PVF-CAND was transferred to become Hung Yen Club, leaving the police-backed side with a squad of experienced veterans and promising young players. Nguyen Dinh Trieu is the tactical anchor, directing play with his distribution, while Minh Vuong orchestrates midfield. Le Viktor offers movement, Thanh Nhan attacks space, and young players Pham Ly Duc and Pham Minh Phuc provide width. In theory, CAND are the strongest team in the division. But pressure from the Ministry of Public Security to win promotion can become a trap. Opponents will defend deep and wait for mistakes. The team must learn to win ugly and handle the heaviness of expectation. If they stay patient, their journey back to V-League can become a football poem. If they let anxiety control their shoes, they will learn that even the wealthiest club cannot buy emotional balance.