Becamex TP.HCM eliminates Thanh Hóa from National Cup: When a Second-Tier Side Defeats a Top-Tier Team with Low-Block Tactics

At Thong Nhat Stadium on the evening of March 13, Becamex TP.HCM — a club playing in the First Division — ended Thanh Hoa's National Cup journey with a 2-0 victory. Both goals came from two of football's most classical weapons: a corner kick in the 34th minute and a swift counterattack in the 83rd minute. There was nothing surprising about how Becamex won. What matters is that they had the right plan — and Thanh Hoa had no answer. Before the match, the main story was not about football. Thanh Hoa had just escaped a financial crisis, according to internal sources confirmed through club media channels. The club was facing a relegation battle in V.League 1. Meanwhile, Becamex TP.HCM — a club relegated last season — was investing heavily with quality foreign players and national team players. In terms of on-field resources, the boundary between the two teams had long been erased. Becamex head coach Gerard Albadalejo chose a deep defensive style, ceded control, and waited for opportunities. This decision — in theory — was standard for a weaker team. But in practice, it was the perfect tactical choice against an opponent without a mechanism to break a low block. Thanh Hoa controlled possession for most of the match. The team pushed high, occupied the attacking third, and looked for ways into the penalty area. But when the formation pushed higher, space opened behind the defensive line. Becamex — with fast wingers and a striker capable of quick bursts — was ready to exploit that space whenever the ball was cleared. The first goal came from a set piece. In the 34th minute, captain Vo Hoang Minh Khoa delivered a corner with a trajectory curving opposite the goal. This delivery pattern requires systematic training: the ball curving opposite forces the goalkeeper to move against the ball's rotation, creating chaos in the penalty area. Becamex scored from precisely this situation. Not luck — the result of systematic set-piece training. After conceding, Thanh Hoa pushed their formation even higher. Psychologically, this was understandable: needing to equalize before halftime. But tactically, it opened the space Becamex needed. The visitors played according to their original plan, even more strictly in the second half. The second goal in the 83rd minute was a product of a pre-designed counterattack. Becamex played a long ball from their own half, a through ball that bypassed Thanh Hoa's high defensive line. Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong — a Vietnam national team striker — read the offside trap, moved intelligently to beat the offside line, and completed the finish. This was a moment demonstrating high football intelligence: the ability to read situations, choose the moment to burst, and maintain concentration in the 83rd minute of a cup match. Viet Cuong is not the typical player found in the First Division. He is Vietnam's number one striker, having competed at higher levels. His presence at Becamex TP.HCM — a recently relegated club — is a clear signal of the club's financial ambition. This is the "yo-yo club with top-tier funding" model: a club spending to return to V.League 1 immediately. Daniel dos Anjos — Becamex's attacking foreign player — also played a crucial role in the counterattack system. While Viet Cuong was the central striker, dos Anjos operated in wider spaces, creating unpredictability for the opponent's defense. The combination of quality foreign players and national-team-level domestic players created a Becamex much stronger than their First Division position suggested. On Thanh Hoa's side, the story was not just about the on-field defeat. The club was facing a relegation battle in V.League 1, with significantly reduced financial resources following the recent crisis. Being eliminated early from the National Cup — according to the club's framing — could be positive: reduced fixture load, travel cost savings, and full focus on the relegation battle. This argument is not without logic. With limited resources, a club cannot fight on multiple fronts. The National Cup — with its single-match knockout format — inherently carries high risk. A defeat against a well-performing opponent like Becamex could be acceptable if it meant preserving fitness and focus for V.League 1. However, this argument also contains media risk. If Thanh Hoa continues to decline in upcoming rounds, the narrative "early cup exit is good" will be read backwards: the club knew it was in serious trouble. Currently, the boundary between strategic planning and excuse-making for defeat is very thin. Thanh Hoa's tactical problems are also noteworthy. The team had no mechanism to break a low defensive block — something many top V.League 1 clubs have managed against deep-defending opponents. There was no set-piece specialist, no creative player capable of creating space from distance, and no option to change match rhythm when the primary approach was neutralized. In knockout matches, the difference often lies in two factors: goals from set pieces and the ability to exploit space when opponents make transition errors. Becamex was well-prepared for both. Thanh Hoa — despite having possession time — failed to create any clear chances from open play. Long-term, this match reflects an ongoing trend in Vietnamese football: the boundary between divisions is becoming increasingly blurred in terms of squad quality. A relegated club can invest heavily to return immediately, while a top-flight club struggles with financial crisis and relegation threats. The National Cup — with its format allowing clubs from different divisions to meet — visually exposed this inversion most clearly. For Becamex TP.HCM, this victory was a confidence boost for their journey back to V.League 1. The club proved they can beat top-flight opposition when needed, strengthening belief for coach Albadalejo and the players. For Thanh Hoa, the biggest question is not this defeat, but whether the club can turn the situation around in V.League 1 before the season becomes too late. The National Cup has eliminated a struggling club from its journey. But for Thanh Hoa, the real challenge is just beginning.