Da Nang coach helpless amid unbelievable injury streak

Coach Le Duc Tuan acknowledges SHB Da Nang is faltering from goalkeeper crisis during relegation race.

A narrow defeat against Hanoi Police continues to push SHB Da Nang into a difficult situation in the V.League 2025/26 relegation fight. However, what worries Coach Le Duc Tuan more than the result is the prolonged crisis in the goalkeeper position.

After the match, the Han River team's tactician frankly pointed out squad issues severely affecting competitiveness. “Regarding personnel, we face difficulties in the goalkeeper position due to injuries. Goalkeeper Van Toan has shoulder problems and cannot play, forcing us to use Van Biểu. He tried very hard and strove to fulfill his duty.”

In reality, Da Nang has had to rotate continuously at the goal frame since the start of the season. First-choice goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung suffered a serious injury and is out for the season, while replacements like Phan Van Biểu also couldn’t maintain stable fitness. Even the supplementary option Nguyen Van Toan quickly encountered issues, leaving the team in a personnel vicious cycle.

In the match against CAHN, Van Biểu continued to be trusted as starter, while the backup option was only young goalkeeper Huynh Tran Quoc Bao. At one point, a collision forced Van Biểu to lie on the pitch receiving treatment for quite some time, raising further concerns for the coaching staff. Facing this reality, Coach Le Duc Tuan admitted the team has no other choice but to adapt: “We understand the goalkeeper position is extremely important, but the team must accept reality and find ways to overcome it.”

Nevertheless, pressure from an unstable defense also somewhat affected the outcome. A mistake in a coordination situation led to a penalty, deciding the match. Still, Coach Le Duc Tuan maintained trust in his players: “We played quite well. The players fought until the final minutes, especially in terms of competitive spirit. In football, the most important thing remains the result. We need to improve performance, because the goal is to get points to escape the bottom group.”

Currently, Da Nang is still struggling in the bottom group with a fragile gap from direct competitors. However, this tactician remains optimistic about the upcoming journey: “Despite many difficulties, we still have opportunities and will continue fighting. The goal is to improve results to escape the dangerous position.”