HCM City’s players are ready for the new football season. — Photo nld.com.vn

Football

HCM CITY — HCM City are preparing for the V.League 1 2024-25 season with big ambitions in mind.

With a strong core squad, the team are expected to have the necessary strength to compete for the title.

In preparation for the new season, Coach Phùng Thanh Phương has made strategic changes, focusing on young talent and selecting players who align with the ball control philosophy the team are building.

The recently registered list of 26 players includes several young athletes who played pivotal roles in the starting lineup last season, such as Hoàng Vĩnh Nguyên, Bùi Ngọc Long, Phan Nhật Thanh Long, Nguyễn Thanh Khôi and Trần Hoàng Phúc. This group not only gained valuable experience but also helped the team secure an impressive fourth place overall in the 2023-24 season.

Nguyên and Long have emerged as standout players, contributing significantly to the team's pressing and proactive style of play. Both have earned high praise from the coaching staff for their skills and are essential to the starting lineup.

In addition to the young talent, coach Phương has a solid foundation of experienced players, including goalkeepers Patrik Lê Giang and Bùi Tiến Dũng, along with Võ Huy Toàn, Nguyễn Thanh Thảo and Adriano Schmidt. The club have also made thoughtful acquisitions of foreign players, ensuring quality across all positions. Notable additions include Malaysian midfielder Endrick Dos Santos Parafita, Brazilian defender Duarte Rocha Matheus and Estonian striker Erik Sorga. Endrick, standing at 1.82m, is a versatile attacker who has impressed the coaching staff with his performances in pre-season friendly matches.

At the ceremony to launch the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, coach Phương expressed the team's ambition to achieve the best results in domestic tournaments and to bring joy and pride to the fans.

Phương emphasised that HCM City are ready to compete with determination, aiming to earn points in every match and deliver exciting performances to fans both locally and nationwide.

“Determined to achieve the best possible results this season, we aim to bring joy and pride to our supporters," Phương said.

"With the solidarity and determination of our entire team, I believe we can achieve excellent results."

During the ceremony, Deputy Chairwoman of the HCM City People's Committee Trần Thị Diệu Thúy praised the club's resilience and efforts in overcoming challenges to secure fourth place last season. She encouraged HCM City to aim high in the new season.

She said: “With the support of HCM City’s leaders, the cooperation of sponsors, and the backing of fans, HCM City must maintain their beautiful and dedicated playing style, becoming a symbol of HCM City football.” — VNS