Thanh Hóa coach admits one thing after controversial match

Coach Mai Xuân Hợp asserts that Thanh Hóa will treat every remaining match as a "final," despite squad difficulties and pressure following the loss to Thể Công - Viettel.

After the narrow defeat to Thể Công Viettel, Thanh Hóa Club continues to face many pressures in the crucial stage of the season. Despite losing, the performance of the Thanh region team still showed resilient fighting spirit, which Coach Mai Xuân Hợp particularly emphasized in the post-match press conference.

Evaluating the match, Mr. Hợp gave recognition to his players: “The whole team’s spirit was very determined, the players followed the tactics set by the coaching staff. In football, of course there are opportunities we fail to capitalize on, which is regrettable. And conceding a goal is naturally unavoidable. I think the referee’s decision was normal, nothing special.” This calm perspective shows Thanh Hóa’s coaching staff maintained composure after the defeat.

Asked about facing Coach Velizar Popov – a former Thanh Hóa figure, Mr. Hợp candidly shared: “Thể Công was slightly better than Đông Á Thanh Hóa. Regarding Coach Popov previously leading Thanh Hóa, it’s professional football, completely normal. Of course both teams were very tight in their tactical organization, so they understood each other well, making the match more tightly contested.” This partly explains why the match was closely fought with few clear chances.

Not only focusing on technical aspects, this coach also spoke about the significance of the number 1962 jersey the team uses: “This is the club’s founding year. I myself and the players cherish the team’s name, so we enter matches with the highest spirit. The club leadership has supported the team to resolve the FIFA penalty. That is the most positive thing. Currently we are also facing many financial difficulties, but the leadership is trying step by step to solve them for the players.” These remarks show Thanh Hóa is striving to overcome difficulties both financially and mentally.

Additionally, the squad issue is a major challenge as many key players are not in optimal condition: “Ngọc Mỹ is currently injured. Thanh Hóa is very strained in personnel but still has to use Mỹ. During the three-week preparation period for this final stage, Mỹ couldn’t train. Now I also have to arrange things to suit Mỹ. On the field Mỹ also tries hard, but that effort to contribute to a whole team that has to grind, run and fight for the ball is truly too difficult for Mỹ.”This significantly affects the team’s tactical operation.

Explaining why all players warmed up together before the match, Coach Mai Xuân Hợp stated: “I want all registered players for the match to be ready, mentally prepared to enter the field at any moment. In football it’s completely normal; if the 11 officially registered players unfortunately get injured during warm-up, I have someone ready to enter immediately. All our rounds have no easy matches. Every match is a final for Thanh Hóa.”This is precisely the consistent message he wants to convey for the remaining journey of the season.