CAND's Departure: A Journey to Regain Status from Their Own Kazan Night

This afternoon, at the Ministry of Public Security Training Center field, a small detail made me stop. Goalkeeper Nguyễn Đình Triệu, 34, stood silently before the empty goal. He wasn't practicing reflexes, wasn't organizing the defense. He just stood there, looking at the empty stands, as if measuring a void that not everyone can see. That moment lasted no more than ten seconds, but to me, it contained the entire story of CLB Công An Nhân Dân this season. The context of the 2026-2027 season places CAND in a special position. They are not just a team wanting promotion. They are a team directly backed by the Ministry of Public Security, with the public statement of Minister Lương Tam Quang about special attention to football. They are the team that just witnessed the transfer of PVF-CAND into CLB Hưng Yên, a strategic restructuring. And they are the team of Nguyễn Đức Thắng, the coach who led Viettel to the 2026 V-League title with the league's best defense. Đức Thắng brings to CAND a clear philosophy: defense first, discipline as foundation. His squad combines the experience of Triệu, Minh Vương, Thanh Nhàn with the youthful energy of Phạm Lý Đức, Phạm Minh Phúc. Lê Viktor, a Vietnamese-Czech player with European football exposure, is a promising attacking piece. But what I appreciate most is how Đức Thắng builds the team from the goal out. Triệu is not just a goalkeeper; he is the spiritual anchor, the best game-reader on the pitch. In the last three matches of the previous season, I watched how CAND operated. They don't play flashy football. They play pragmatic football, controlling tempo, waiting for opponents' mistakes. This is the tactical imprint of Đức Thắng, who built a champion Viettel not through beautiful attacks but through boring solidity. In the First Division, where many teams will choose to defend deep, CAND needs more patience than ever. But there is a counter-intuitive truth I want to expose. CAND's financial power, backed by the Ministry of Public Security, creates a massive structural advantage. They can recruit V-League players like Triệu, while other opponents have modest budgets. This makes CAND the "PSG of the First Division" — a team where anything other than promotion is failure. And that pressure, not the opponents on the pitch, is their biggest enemy. I remember the Kazan night of 2026, when Germany lost to South Korea 0-2 and were eliminated in the World Cup group stage. That was a lesson about the fragility of the summit. CAND is facing their own Kazan night. They are expected to dominate the First Division, but Vietnamese football history is full of well-resourced teams that stumbled against underestimated opponents. The opening match against Long An at home on September 11 is the first test. A win would build momentum, but a draw or loss would immediately raise questions about overhype. The CAND story is not just about a team wanting promotion. It's about the "state club" model in Vietnamese football. When CAND and CAHN (Hanoi Police Club, 2026 V-League champions) are both under the Ministry of Public Security, questions about fair competition arise. Is a team backed by state budget truly part of a fair league? Or are they creating a two-tier playground where small provincial clubs cannot compete? The PVF-CAND transfer to Hưng Yên further complicates the picture. Both clubs trace their lineage to the Ministry of Public Security, both compete in the First Division. This raises questions about VFF's multi-club ownership regulations. Is there a conflict of interest? Is there a risk of match-fixing? I'm not accusing anything, but I'm asking questions. And I believe VFF needs close supervision to ensure the league's integrity. Financially, the CAND model is sustainable in the short term but raises long-term questions. Dependence on state budget creates risk when politics shift. If the Ministry changes priorities, CAND could quickly fall into difficulty. This is a lesson from many state clubs in Vietnam and the region. However, with the Minister's public commitment, CAND can be assured in the short term. What truly interests me is how Đức Thắng manages the dressing room. With veterans like Triệu and Minh Vương, alongside hungry young players, balancing roles is key. Triệu may earn a higher salary than the First Division average, creating internal disparity. But with his experience, I trust Đức Thắng knows how to handle it. He led Viettel with many stars and maintained unity. The match against Long An will be the moment of truth. A convincing win would affirm CAND's status. But I wouldn't be surprised if the match is difficult. Long An, though underestimated, will play with nothing to lose. They will defend deep, waiting for counter-attack opportunities. That's when Triệu and CAND's defense must prove their worth. I remember the words of a Morocco fan at the 2026 World Cup: "We don't have Messi, but we have each other." CAND doesn't have Messi, but they have the Ministry of Public Security, Đức Thắng, Triệu, and a well-built collective. Is that enough to overcome the pressure of expectation? Can they avoid a Kazan-style fall? This season, I will follow CAND not just with a journalist's eye, but with the eye of someone who has witnessed too many farewells on the pitch. I will search for those anonymous moments — a Triệu save, a Lê Viktor turn, a Đức Thắng glance from the touchline — to find the whole meaning of the game. Because the trajectory of the heart is never a straight line. It is long-range shots. And CAND is facing their biggest long-range shot yet. At the summit, one sees nothing but one's own fragility. CAND is not yet at the summit, but they stand at its threshold. And the question is not whether they will be promoted. The question is: when standing at the summit, will they see their own fragility? Because the Kazan night taught me that the highest peak is also just a fulcrum for the fall. And every space on the pitch is an unspoken promise.