There were tears of sadness and disappointment at the 19th August Stadium in Nha Trang as SHB Da Nang were officially relegated out of the V.League 1 on Friday. Lucao do Break’s hat-trick in Da Nang’s 3-1 win over hosts Khanh Hoa FC meant nothing as at the same time relegation rivals Ho Chi Minh City FC and Becamex Binh Duong played out a 0-0 draw at the former’s Thong Nhat Stadium, which confirmed safety for both of them and condemned Da Nang to the drop.
Da Nang, who won the V.League 1 three times in 1999, 2008, and 2012, were relegated for the first time in 22 years despite their battling win at Nha Trang. Having established themselves as one of the powerhouses of Vietnamese football throughout their time in the top-flight, Da Nang’s relegation on Friday culminated a slow but steady decline that saw the men in orange fail to finish within the top five of the league in every season since 2016.
Ironically the buildup towards the 2023 season was met with much optimism by the Da Nang camp. Youngsters Nguyen Phi Hoang, Pham Dinh Duy, and Luong Duy Cuong have remained at the club after decent showings throughout the 2022 campaign, while veteran Pham Nguyen Sa has returned from injury.
V.League 1 stalwarts Rodrigo Dias and Nicholas Olsen were brought in to fill in Da Nang’s foreign player quota, while another veteran in Ha Minh Tuan arrived from local rivals Quang Nam FC to add more experience to the squad. Former Than Quang Ninh star Giang Tran Quach Tan was also brought in to reinforce the midfield.
With preparations going well, the Da Nang management gave head coach Phan Thanh Hung and his players the target of finishing in the top 8 for the 2023 campaign.
However, as the season rolls around, things soon became awry for the South Central Coast-based club.
Da Nang found themselves 12th in the 14-team V.League 1 after the first half of the season, with only one win to their name. Said win also came during the last game of the season’s first half, beating surprise title contenders Cong An Ha Noi 1-0 at the Hoa Xuan Stadium on July 2nd. By then Thanh Hung had no longer served as head coach, being replaced by former Hong Linh Ha Tinh head coach Pham Minh Duc on June 3rd with the club bottom-of-the-league at that time.
Both Rodrigo and Nicholas were replaced by former Hanoi FC danger man Lucao and former Lampang FC player Brandon Wilson, and whilst the former managed to bang himself a hat-trick in Friday’s win, said victory at Nha Trang would turn out to be Da Nang’s only other win this season.
Losses after losses have clearly affected the team’s mentality, sapping away any confidence that the Da Nang players have had throughout the season. In the end, a series of underwhelming performances had done the once proud giant in, and they would have to struggle it out in the V.League 2 next season should they wish to regain their spot in the pantheon of Vietnamese football.
Ironically as Da Nang went down, their local rivals Quang Nam are on their way to regaining their spot in the V.League 1, as the 2017 top-flight champions currently lead the V.League 2 on goal difference over 2nd placed PVF-CAND.
As both Quang Nam and fellow fallen giants Long An FC have shown in recent years, a season in the V.League 2 would be tough and unforgiving, something that Da Nang should take note as they are set to embark on their first season out of the top-flight in 22 years.