The new season of the National Cup is worth waiting for

The National Cup is the only playground where first division and V.League 1 teams compete. The tournament organizers have made the matches more interesting and unpredictable by not allowing V.League 1 clubs to use foreign players to compete with first division teams.

In the 2024/25 season, the story at the National Cup is even more anticipated than every year because the 3 first-class teams are investing heavily in their forces.

Phu Dong Ninh Binh is currently considered the leading candidate for the championship with a squad that includes many outstanding players of Vietnamese football such as Dang Van Lam, Do Thanh Thinh, Mach Ngoc Ha and Nguyen Duc Viet. Even if they go further, this team will have the addition of Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Quoc Viet - 2 players who joined the team after the player registration period for the 2024/25 National Cup ended.

Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc Club also has ambitions to climb high in both the first division and the National Cup. With the presence of Cong Phuong and a squad of experienced players, coach Nguyen Anh Duc's team promises to be a formidable force in the 2024/25 National Cup.

PVF-People's Police is a team built on the foundation of players who have played together for a long time at youth levels. In the last 2 seasons, this team reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals respectively. That is an important premise for coach Mauro Jeronimo and his team to aim for similar achievements in the 2024/25 season.

However, this does not mean that other teams will let the first-class forces take the initiative. Although they are not allowed to use foreign players in direct confrontations, the domestic forces of V.League 1 teams cannot be underestimated.

Among these clubs, Nam Dinh Blue Steel is the team with the most impressive squad. Notably, striker Nguyen Xuan Son has completed the naturalization procedure before the deadline for player registration for the National Cup, which means he can compete as a domestic player in this tournament.

This is an important addition to coach Vu Hong Viet's squad, despite the fact that Xuan Son has not scored any goals after the first 3 matches at LPBank V.League 1 - 2024/25. Not only that, this team also has top stars of Vietnamese football such as Tuan Anh, Van Toan, Hong Duy or Nguyen Manh... Therefore, they have no reason to be afraid when having to "play domestic" with any first-class team.

Similarly, Hanoi Police, Dong A Thanh Hoa, Hanoi or The Cong - Viettel also gather the brightest stars of Vietnamese football at present. Not to mention, the remaining teams also have their own strengths and values, thereby creating diverse colors and potentially many interesting surprises for the National Cup arena.

Of course, foreign players are not completely out of the picture in this playground. In the match between the two representatives of V.League 1, the teams will be allowed to use foreign players just like in the highest playground in Vietnam. This means that fans will also enjoy top-notch matches, when the teams use all their available manpower.

In the first round of the 2024/25 National Cup, the most anticipated match will take place at Thong Nhat Stadium, where Phu Dong Ninh Binh Club will face Ho Chi Minh City Club.

Although coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team is somewhat weaker in terms of domestic strength compared to its opponent, in return they have had a long time to practice and compete together. That is the basis for the "red battleship" to believe in victory against the upcoming extremely strong opponent.

Not only that, the match between Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc Club and Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club is also a special occasion, because fans will witness Cong Phuong's return to a Vietnamese team after 2 years playing for Yokohama FC. Although he has not played much in Japan, this striker is still a name to look forward to both at the club level and the national team.