2026-2027 National Cup: Four V-League clubs fall, survival fears loom larger than ever

The qualifying round of the 2026-2027 National Cup over the weekend left an unsettling picture: four of the five V-League representatives bowed out against First Division clubs, three of them losing at home. I do not watch matches to scan results; I watch how teams collapse. And the scariest part is that none of these collapses was accidental. Eight matches were played over two days. Bac Ninh beat Long An 3-2, the only bright spot for top-flight clubs. The other four ties showed Thanh Hoa losing 0-2 to Becamex TP.HCM, Hoang Anh Gia Lai losing 2-3 to Hung Yen, Hai Phong losing 0-1 to Steel Can Tho, and Hong Linh Ha Tinh losing to Phu Tho on penalties. The general background before this round made it clear that V-League clubs did not treat the National Cup as a priority. For teams without serious ambition, going deeper meant more travel costs, accommodation expenses and squad management worries. Staying in the V-League matters far more. That explains why many clubs competed half-heartedly, opening the door for First Division sides to show greater desire and produce upsets. Yet the story is not simply about big clubs deciding to step aside. A deeper look shows that the real strength of the V-League group is shrinking. Thanh Hoa is a typical example. The team only knew for sure that it would still exist right before the season began. The squad lacked depth because there was not enough money to keep key players or sign quality additions. Before the match against Becamex TP.HCM, Thanh Hoa also took a heavy blow from FIFA. Jamaican striker Rimario Gordon filed a complaint, and FIFA ordered Thanh Hoa to pay more than 305,000 USD, around 8 billion VND. If the case was not settled within 45 days of receiving the document on September 16, the club would be banned from registering new players for three transfer windows. The issue was complicated by the fact that the debt came from the old sponsor era, while the club had already been handed over to a new sponsor. The instability off the pitch quickly entered the match. Becamex TP.HCM, despite just being relegated, had a squad no weaker and played with more determination and organization. They controlled the game, pressed well and scored twice to win without much difficulty. Thanh Hoa could not produce a sharp moment to change the match. Seeing the hosts defensive line drop deeper and lose shape from the first half, I remembered a rule: tactics do not live on the whiteboard, they live in the fear of each player. Hoang Anh Gia Lai found themselves in no less difficulty. The team had to temporarily leave Pleiku because the pitch was being repaired, especially the drainage system that failed during heavy rain. Playing in Quy Nhon was not an excuse, but it certainly affected the home feeling. Without the familiar support of their fans and facing a Hung Yen side full of ambition, HAGL fell behind quickly. By the 77th minute they were losing 1-3, and the stoppage-time penalty in the 90+4 minute only made the scoreline 2-3. HAGL are entering this season with a weaker squad than last year. Two consecutive defeats at the start of the 2026-2027 V-League turned survival into an urgent task. Coach Le Quang Trai has to manage a thin roster, and the National Cup became another burden. An early exit could actually help the team focus fully on the league. Hai Phong had an acceptable start in the V-League, with one loss and one win, before facing Steel Can Tho. However, at home, the team from the port city could not make a difference. Steel Can Tho had just lost their opening match in the First Division and had newly moved from Quang Ninh to the western city, but they showed greater hunger. Striker Thaileon, who had joined only a few days earlier, scored in the first half. It was the only goal of the match and enough to knock Hai Phong out. Hong Linh Ha Tinh held a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes, but lost 2-3 to Phu Tho in the shootout. Penalties are where mentality decides everything, and the First Division club showed better composure. Although Ha Tinh were not beaten in regular time, they left no real mark. For a team that needs league points to survive, this defeat could be seen as an optimal solution. Looking at the four matches, I see a repeated pattern: the V-League clubs did not lose simply because of a total lack of determination, but because they were dealing with a resource problem. In the V-League, staying up brings more financial value than a long cup run. Each cup match costs money and carries injury risk. So many clubs rotate, field reserves and accept an early exit. Tactically, the V-League sides lost because they refused to move. All four allowed opponents to press, lost the ball in midfield and had no escape plan. First Division sides, by contrast, played direct football, used the speed of foreign players and exploited set pieces. Steel Can Tho scored from a fast counter-attack; Becamex TP.HCM attacked smartly down the flanks. When the stronger side lacks desire, the weaker side gets all the space to write a story. However, a contrarian view must be raised. These defeats may not be entirely a choice, but a genuine inability. If First Division clubs keep beating V-League representatives in a national tournament, the gap in quality is being erased. That creates a difficult question: is the status of those top-flight clubs still based on ability, or just on cost management? For supporters, an early cup exit brings a feeling of betrayal. They want to see determination, even defeat, but defeat with effort. Lifeless performances and accepting elimination to focus on relegation will slowly destroy the commercial value of the National Cup. In the long run, the cup could become a more attractive playground for First Division sides, but if the big clubs keep avoiding it, media value will keep falling. After watching many seasons, I believe these shocks are signals that should be heard, not reasons to condemn clubs. Vietnamese football needs a mechanism that encourages teams to play fully in the National Cup, perhaps through prize money, points value, or a place in continental competition. Only when the National Cup becomes genuinely rewarding will managers stop seeing it as a burden. Freeze the frame in the 77th minute of the HAGL defeat to Hung Yen. The defence was broken, the midfield had no connection, the coach stood silently on the touchline. The game was effectively over at that moment, even though one late goal followed. Those who only read the match report will miss that moment. But people in this profession must see it: the collapse had been announced long before the ball was kicked, because of all the factors off the pitch. The 2026-2027 National Cup is only in the qualifying round, but it has already revealed the shape of the season. First Division clubs are facing a historic chance to create major surprises. These victories bring belief, money and media attention. Meanwhile, the V-League clubs who exit early may achieve their survival goal, but they will pay with their brand image. A season truly begins when someone dares to say what nobody wants to say. This season, that statement could sound like this: the National Cup is being abandoned by the very clubs that create its appeal. If we keep treating it as a secondary tournament, the defeats of Thanh Hoa, HAGL, Hai Phong and Ha Tinh will only be the beginning. And Vietnamese football will remain stuck in a cycle of preserving resources instead of daring to dream.