CAND's March Out: The 'Rich Kid' of the First Division or a Double-Edged Sword Called Expectation?

The stadium was empty on a Hanoi autumn afternoon, the sound of studs scraping across the turf the only thing breaking the silence. But don't let the appearance fool you. Behind the closed training session of Cong An Nhan Dan FC (CAND) lies an ambition that is far from secret: promotion to the V-League. I've watched hundreds of First Division teams over 14 years, and I've never seen a team enter the league with such a clear 'hunter's face.' Not because they have stars, but because they have something no First Division team in Vietnam has: absolute backing from the Ministry of Public Security, a coach who has won the V-League, and a squad full of battle-hardened veterans. The beer hasn't been drunk, the bet hasn't been placed, but I can already see the full picture of this year's promotion race. And it won't be as pretty as the club's leadership imagines. The context of this story is far from simple. Before the 2026-2027 season began, a structural event shook the northern football ecosystem: the PVF-CAND youth team was officially transferred to become Hung Yen FC. This move is not just an asset transfer, but a strategic restructuring. CAND now focuses all its resources on the first team, while Hung Yen – also with roots in the police force – will take on the role of developing young players. Both teams are playing in the First Division this season, creating a strange dynamic: two 'police brothers' standing on the same battle line. Meanwhile, coach Nguyen Duc Thang – who led Viettel to the 2026 V-League title – was appointed as the captain. This is not a coincidence. This is a statement: CAND is not here to participate, they are here to dominate. But it is precisely here that I see the first crack in this perfect story. Duc Thang, as I have carefully analyzed since his days at Viettel, is not a coach of flashy attacking football. He is an architect of solidity. His 2026 championship Viettel side was not the prettiest team in the league, but the one with the best defense. They scored fewer goals but also conceded fewer. They didn't create moments that made fans jump out of their seats; they created boring and effective victories. In the context of the First Division – where most teams will play defensive, waiting for their chance – Duc Thang's philosophy could be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps CAND control the tempo and avoid stupid goals. On the other, it could turn CAND into a 'sleepy' team against weaker opponents, teams willing to accept a goalless draw for a point. Let's talk about the players, because football is a game of people. Goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu – a name familiar to V-League fans – is CAND's most important tactical anchor. In the First Division, where most teams have to use young or average goalkeepers, having a national team-level shot-stopper is an immeasurable advantage. Trieu doesn't just save; he commands the defense, reads situations, and launches attacks with precise long passes. In tight matches where a single individual error can decide the fate of a season, Trieu's presence is a lucky charm. But this is also the fatal weakness. If Trieu gets injured, CAND will have to rely on a backup goalkeeper who has never experienced the pressure of a promotion race. Load management is romanticized, but in reality, it's about making way for commercial tours and friendlies. I've seen too many teams lose an entire season due to an injury in a key position. Alongside Trieu, the arrival of Le Viktor – a striker of Vietnamese-Czech heritage – and veterans like Minh Vuong and Thanh Nhan creates a diverse attacking framework. Duc Thang can switch between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 diamond depending on the flow of the game. But this flexibility is also a double-edged sword. When you have too many options, you risk falling into a state of 'endless experimentation,' constantly changing the lineup and failing to establish stability. I've witnessed teams with the strongest squads in the league still fail because the coach couldn't find his preferred core. Stability, in the First Division, is more important than brilliance. And then there's the elephant in the room that no one wants to mention: money. CAND is backed by the Ministry of Public Security, as publicly affirmed by Minister Luong Tam Quang. This creates an unfair competitive advantage in the First Division. While other teams struggle with tight budgets from local sponsors, CAND can recruit quality V-League players without worrying about the price. But this is where I ask the question: is this 'state club' model sustainable? Vietnamese football history has seen too many subsidized teams collapse when resources were withdrawn. Dependence on a political body means the club's fate is not in the hands of the players or the coach, but in the hands of administrative decisions. A small change in Ministry policy could turn CAND from a giant into a wreck in just one season. I want to talk about pressure, because pressure is something no contract can buy. When the Minister of Public Security directly gives directives, when the club chairman pledges to 'concretize the directives,' the promotion goal is no longer a sporting goal, but a political mission. This means coach Duc Thang and the players are not allowed to fail. And in football, when you're not allowed to fail, you play with fear. You don't dare to take risks, don't dare to experiment, don't dare to play attractive football. You play 'safe' football – the kind I call 'dirty defending' – a negative style focused on protecting the score rather than seeking victory. Duc Thang, with his defensive instincts, might turn CAND into a team that's hard to beat, but also hard to win convincingly. And in a league where only two promotion spots are available, a string of draws could be disastrous. The opening match against Long An at home is predicted to be a 'must-win.' A victory would create momentum and reinforce the 'strong team' narrative. A draw or loss would immediately fuel doubts about whether this team is truly worth the hype. I've seen too many highly-fancied teams collapse in the first round because they couldn't handle the weight of expectation. Conversely, I've also seen 'underdog' teams play with the spirit of having nothing to lose and create major upsets. But let me talk about something no one in CAND's boardroom wants to hear: internal competition. CAHN – Hanoi Police Club – won the V-League in 2026. CAHN's success creates invisible pressure on CAND. This could be a motivation for CAND to strive, but it could also be a distraction. When you're trying to prove you're the 'big brother' in the police system, you easily lose focus on the immediate goal. Football is not a game of comparison; it's a game of concentration. There's another issue, one I believe the VFF needs to examine closely: the relationship between CAND and Hung Yen. Both clubs have roots in the police force, both play in the First Division, and both have historical ties. This raises questions about the integrity of the league. Is there a conflict of interest when two 'brother' teams meet? Is there a possibility of match-fixing? I'm not accusing anyone, but I'm not naive either. Vietnamese football has had too many scandals for us to ignore these questions. The VFF needs to have clear regulations on governance separation between the two clubs, ensuring they operate independently without any external interference. I could be wrong. Maybe Duc Thang will surprise me. Maybe he'll build a more attractive attacking style than I predict. Maybe Le Viktor will explode and score 20 goals. Maybe Minh Vuong will regain his peak form. Maybe the Ministry's backing will create a professional environment no other team can match. But I could also be right. And if I'm right, CAND will be one of the biggest failures in Vietnamese football this decade – not because they weren't good enough, but because they lacked the courage to face the weight of expectation. The stadium is empty, but I've never been without an audience. I see millions of eyes watching, millions of tongues talking. And I wonder: will CAND turn pressure into diamonds, or will they shatter under the weight of the very diamonds they wear around their necks? The season will answer. And I'll be there, with a beer and a notebook, recording every moment. Because in football, nothing is more interesting than a strong man trembling.