National Cup 2026-2027: Four V-League Clubs Fall to First Division and the Unpostponable Relegation Equation

In the 90th minute plus four at Quy Nhon, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. A Hoang Anh Gia Lai player placed the ball, stepped back, and scored to narrow the score to 2-3. The sparse stands barely reacted. From the 77th minute, when Hung Yen scored their third, everyone understood how the afternoon would end. The penalty goal was merely a footnote at the bottom of the page, not enough to change the story. For Hoang Anh Gia Lai, that defeat took place at Quy Nhon, the temporary home of the mountain-city club because Pleiku Stadium is undergoing renovation of its pitch. Pleiku's drainage system has seriously deteriorated, unable to drain in time during prolonged heavy rain, forcing the board to temporarily leave their "holy ground." Without familiar drums, without stands blazing red, HAGL entered the match like a guest in their own league. And a guest with no home, against an ambitious Hung Yen side, had the outcome written before the ball rolled. That was just one of four defeats suffered by clubs currently playing in V-League over the two weekend days, in the qualifying round of the 2026-2027 National Cup. Three of them happened right at home. A number sufficient to say that in cup competition, the status of a league does not protect anyone. Eight qualifying matches took place over two weekend days, and the overall picture emerged fairly clearly. Apart from Bac Ninh, who won 3-2 away at First Division side Long An, the other four V-League representatives left the tournament with defeats. Thanh Hoa lost 0-2 at home to Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, a club just relegated to the First Division and now a promotion candidate. With a squad no weaker than the hosts, and playing with more determination, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City claimed an easy win. This is the kind of result that makes people pause and ask questions about how V-League clubs approach the cup. Following Thanh Hoa, Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost 2-3 to Hung Yen at Quy Nhon. Playing at home, Hai Phong also lost 0-1 to Thep Can Tho, a club that had just relocated from Quang Ninh to the Mekong Delta and had just lost its First Division 2026-2027 opener. Having joined the club only days earlier, striker Thaileon scored the only goal of the match in the first half. It was the kind of goal from a newcomer who had not yet fully understood his teammates, yet was enough to bring down a higher-ranked opponent. On the same day, Hong Linh Ha Tinh lost 2-3 to hosts Phu Tho on penalties after a 0-0 draw over 90 minutes. A match without goals, yet ending in a shootout, where luck and composure were distributed evenly and the First Division side grabbed the larger share. Four defeats, three at home, that is the picture the National Cup painted in a single weekend. What stands behind these results? For many V-League clubs, especially those without big ambitions, the National Cup is not a main arena. The further they advance, the more they spend on travel and accommodation, and the more they worry about squad rotation, while staying up in V-League matters far more. That is the economic calculation any board must make before signing the registration list. Imagine a long trip for a cup match, airfare, hotel costs, meals for the whole squad, then a game that could stretch to 120 minutes and penalties. A key player could get injured in a match nobody values as much as the next V-League round. For clubs whose budget only covers survival month by month, that comparison needs no calculator to yield a result. As a result, these V-League representatives often approach the National Cup somewhat indifferently, creating room for First Division teams to show greater determination. Thanh Hoa are the club that most clearly illustrates this. The Thanh-based side only knew they still existed right before V-League 2026-2027 began, with a limited squad because there was not much funding to retain key players or buy new ones. Having to rebuild from a fragile foundation makes every secondary arena a burden. But Thanh Hoa's story does not stop at sporting matters. Before playing Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Hoa also faced a new financial worry to keep the club running. FIFA had just required the club to pay more than 305,000 USD (about 8 billion VND) to striker Rimario Gordon after the Jamaican player filed a complaint with FIFA. This is a sum that any club struggling with a tight budget must factor into its entire season plan. If the matter is not resolved within 45 days from receiving the document on September 16, Thanh Hoa will be banned from registering new players for three transfer windows. The complication lies in the fact that this matter occurred during the previous sponsor's tenure, while Thanh Hoa has now been transferred to a new sponsor. A debt from the past falling on the shoulders of a new board, at a time when the club needs every dong to sustain its life in V-League. A three-window transfer ban, for a club struggling with squad depth, is like a yoke pressing on the season. The 0-2 defeat to Becamex Ho Chi Minh City thus carries multiple layers of meaning. It is not merely a sporting defeat. It reflects a club with dispersed resources, stretched between many worries. When a club has to worry about old wage debts, about FIFA sanctions, about a life-or-death V-League season ahead, the National Cup naturally becomes an arena for fielding substitutes and resting players for more important matches. That is the logical consequence, not laziness. Hoang Anh Gia Lai are also facing a difficult season in the relegation battle after two consecutive defeats to open V-League 2026-2027. This season's squad is even weaker than last season's, so against a more ambitious Hung Yen, coach Le Quang Trai's troops lost quickly. Looking at the starting lineup, one sees an HAGL missing names capable of making a difference at decisive moments. The youth of the squad is a double-edged sword: it brings enthusiasm but also makes the team prone to collapse when conceding first. But from another angle, an early exit from the National Cup may actually be good for Hoang Anh Gia Lai, as the mountain-city club can focus fully on V-League, where they face relegation almost every season. One fewer arena, fewer long trips, less injury risk and less psychological burden. For a club with its back against the wall, withdrawing from the cup is not a failure, but a way to save energy for a more important battle. The two remaining clubs, Hai Phong and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, though their V-League 2026-2027 starts have not been bad (one loss and one win each), did not surprise anyone by losing in the National Cup, aiming to save strength for the relegation race. Hai Phong lost at home to Thep Can Tho, a club that had just changed location and lost its First Division opener. Hong Linh Ha Tinh dragged Phu Tho to penalties before falling. Both showed the same calculation: saving legs for life-or-death V-League matches. There is a notable trend in Vietnamese football over many years: the National Cup is gradually becoming an arena V-League clubs no longer value as they once did. In Europe's top leagues, the national cup still has its own appeal, but in Vietnam, the resource gap between clubs and the pressure of relegation mean this front is increasingly neglected. First Division teams enter as underdogs but with greater motivation, and that is sometimes enough to make the difference. Interestingly, when a V-League club loses in the National Cup, public opinion often uses the word "shock." But for those who follow closely, this result was predicted. Football does not only happen on the pitch; it also happens on the balance of resources, on the fixture list, on the injury list and on unpaid invoices. When a club must choose between advancing in the cup and staying up in V-League, it almost always chooses the latter. Based on my experience following matches across many seasons, I have observed a fairly stable rule: First Division teams, or teams just relegated, always enter the National Cup with the exact opposite mindset of V-League clubs fighting relegation. For a First Division team, this is a chance to prove their worth, to make a splash, to earn extra income from deeper rounds. For a relegation-threatened V-League side, it is a mandatory rehearsal few want to attend. Looking at each specific match, the difference in motivation is clear. Becamex Ho Chi Minh City had just been relegated, are a promotion candidate, and played with the mindset of a team needing to prove they deserve to return. Hung Yen entered the HAGL match with great determination, and they achieved their goal. Thep Can Tho had just relocated, just lost their opener, and had a newcomer who scored the only goal days after arriving. Phu Tho coolly beat Hong Linh Ha Tinh on penalties. These are teams for whom every match is a battle for position, not an administrative formality. Meanwhile, on the other side, the V-League clubs calculate. Thanh Hoa only learned they still existed right before the season began, had little funding to retain key players, and now face a FIFA sanction. HAGL started V-League with two straight defeats and a thinner squad than last season. Hai Phong and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, though not yet at alarming levels, also chose to save strength for V-League. When motivation diverges, results diverge too. Looking at the summary of eight qualifying matches, there is a thought-provoking point about league structure. The National Cup was designed to give smaller clubs a stage, and that is happening exactly as designed. But in this case, it reflects another reality: clubs in the lower half of V-League do not have enough resources to pursue multiple fronts at once. What people call a "shock" is in fact the inevitable consequence of resource imbalance. For many years, I have kept a habit of reviewing the starting lineups of V-League clubs in the National Cup, then comparing them with their starting eleven in the next league round. The difference is usually large, and it says more than any post-match statement. A club can say it respects the National Cup, but the lineup is what tells the truth. In this qualifying round, some clubs left many key players on the bench, calculating for more important matches ahead. Placed in the broader context of Vietnamese football, this is a problem with roots deeper than the results of a single round. When clubs' financial capacity is insufficient to run two fronts in parallel, when relegation pressure far outweighs cup honor, when the fixture list is dense and travel distances long, club leaders must choose. And that choice almost always leans toward V-League, because that is where survival is decided. This raises a question about the value of the National Cup in the hearts of Vietnamese fans. Can a tournament in which top clubs regularly do not give their all still retain its appeal? Will the stands still be eager for cup matches, when results are sometimes decided in pre-match calculations? These are questions the organizers must ponder if they want to elevate this arena. From another angle, it is precisely the First Division teams that are enlivening the National Cup. They play with everything they have, because every match against a V-League club is a chance to promote their image, a chance to rise. They have nothing to lose, and that is why they play a free, expansive, uncalculating brand of football. The beauty of the National Cup in recent years does not lie with the V-League clubs, but with the small clubs daring to dream. Of course, one cannot deny that part of the cause of these upsets in the qualifying round lies in the single-match format. Just one game, no chance to correct mistakes, no second leg to reclaim. This format inherently favors weaker teams causing upsets, especially when playing at home. But among the four V-League defeats this time, three took place at their own grounds. The home advantage, long considered an edge, disappeared completely. That is the most notable detail. Playing at home, Thanh Hoa lost 0-2. Playing at home, Hai Phong lost 0-1. Playing at Quy Nhon as a "temporary home," HAGL lost 2-3. Apart from Hong Linh Ha Tinh, who traveled to Phu Tho and lost on penalties, the other three defeats happened in conditions favorable to the V-League clubs. This shows the problem lies not in home advantage, but in the mindset entering the match. When a team takes the field with a "save energy" mindset, home advantage loses its meaning. Conversely, when a First Division team takes the field with a "chance to play big" mindset, away games are no longer an obstacle. Fighting spirit is sometimes more important than geographical advantage, and the 2026-2027 National Cup qualifying round is a clear demonstration of that. This is also the moment to discuss a story often overlooked: the role of sponsors and the issue of club transfers. The Thanh Hoa case with Rimario Gordon is a typical example. The sum of more than 305,000 USD originated in the previous sponsor's tenure but weighs on the new sponsor. Meanwhile, the current board must worry about the club's survival in the ongoing season. This is a paradox commonly seen in Vietnamese football: the past refuses to leave, while the present is always lacking. FIFA's document requiring Thanh Hoa to pay Rimario Gordon within 45 days from receiving it on September 16 puts the club in a tight spot. If unresolved, a ban on registering new players for three transfer windows will fall. For a club struggling with squad depth and fighting every match to stay up, that sanction is like a blow to the future. In modern football, being unable to buy players means being unable to improve the squad, replace injured key players, or add personnel for the long race. This story also shows the fragility of Vietnamese clubs in financial and legal management. A contract from a previous tenure can become a ticking time bomb in the next. Club handovers between sponsors need to be conducted more transparently and carefully, to avoid old debts falling on new shoulders, affecting a whole collective and its fan base. Returning to the overall picture of the National Cup qualifying round, it can be said that last weekend's results reflect a reality that has long existed but is now more clearly exposed. Four V-League clubs fell, three of them at home, and all belong to the group of clubs struggling with relegation or facing resource difficulties. This is not a coincidence, but the result of a league structure and financial reality shaped over many years. For Vietnamese football fans, especially those who follow both V-League and the National Cup, these results may be disappointing. But from another angle, they open opportunities for First Division teams, bring small fairy tales, and create diversity for domestic football. A National Cup in which only big clubs advance would be far more boring than one in which small clubs can make their mark. From the perspective of someone covering football, I see weekends like this as a chance to write about things that do not appear on the scoreboard. It is the story of a player who joined the club days earlier and scored on his debut. It is the story of a club forced to leave its home because the drainage system deteriorated. It is the story of an old debt troubling a new board. It is the story of empty stands, where a defeat no longer angers anyone, because people are too used to calculation. There are clubs that face relegation almost every season, and for them, every V-League match is a final. The National Cup, in their minds, is an arena where the exit door is not too hard to open. Losing early to focus on what matters more is a rational choice, though sometimes bitter. Professional football runs on many things, and survival is the most important of all. HAGL may use the coming weeks to consolidate the squad and revive morale after two opening V-League defeats and one National Cup exit. For a club with tradition and a large fan base, fighting in the lower half of the table is unwanted. But reality sometimes does not allow dreaming, and HAGL must face its circumstances head-on. Thanh Hoa, with layered difficulties, must solve their financial problems before thinking about playing. A club cannot focus on playing when players and coaching staff still have worries about wages, sanctions and the future. Off-pitch problems always directly affect on-pitch results, and that was shown in the 0-2 defeat to Becamex Ho Chi Minh City. Hai Phong and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, with their National Cup defeats, may see them as necessary sacrifices for a long V-League season. Both started the season acceptably, and saving strength for the main front is a reasonable choice. The question is whether, after saving strength, they will achieve survival, or fall back into the anxious cycle of small V-League clubs. Looking ahead, if the National Cup is to retain its appeal and competitiveness, organizers may need to reconsider how prize money is distributed, how fixtures are arranged, and how to motivate V-League clubs to take part more seriously. A strong cup tournament will enrich domestic football life, but achieving that requires more than calls to respect the competition. It requires structural changes rooted in understanding clubs' real difficulties. In parallel, First Division teams performing ever better in the National Cup sends a positive signal. It shows the gap in quality between V-League and the First Division is not too large, and that can motivate First Division teams to invest and develop more seriously. At the same time, it is a warning to V-League clubs that their position is more fragile than they think. Last weekend, in Thanh Hoa, people left the stadium after the final whistle of the 0-2 defeat. In Quy Nhon, HAGL fans folded their red flags and walked out of the empty stands, having watched the 90th-plus-fourth penalty goal change nothing. At Hai Phong's stadium, a newcomer who had just joined the club days earlier scored the only goal and celebrated. An afternoon like any other in Vietnamese football, yet telling a long story about resource balance, hard choices, and clubs that must always put existence above every other goal. Football is not just beautiful plays, but also decisions beyond the touchline. When a club loses, the defeat has sometimes been shaped in advance, in budget meetings, in starting lineups, in calculations of gains and losses between fronts. The 2026-2027 National Cup qualifying round has shown us that clearly. And the question remaining for the rest of the season is whether those calculations will deliver the expected results, or merely mark the beginning of a long difficult stretch.