VietNamNet Bridge – Amid all the talk about a local coach possibly taking over the national football team, the two leading contenders in many people's eyes go head-to-head in a V-League match today, March 11.

Le Huynh Duc. (Photo: VOV)

Officials, fans, coaches, and others will closely follow the match to be played in Vinh City, home of Nghe An, hoping to get an idea of who is better suited to be the national coach.

The vacancy has arisen after Portuguese Henrique Calisto's sudden resignation from the national team, with the media speculating daily about the possibility of having a local coach at the helm.

Journalists and experts have not let the small matter of both men saying they do not want the job come in the way of a good story.

Both tick several boxes in their resume.

Both are eminent former players – Thang was one of Viet Nam's best defenders of all time while Duc, 39, was for many years one of the top strikers not just in the country but in the whole of Southeast Asia.

They have also earned a reputation as coaches.

In 2009, in his first full year as a coach, Duc steered Da Nang to the V-League title as well as a quarter-final place in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

A year later Thang earned his stripes by helping Nghe An win the National Cup, thus qualifying for this year's AFC Cup.

V-league race

In today's match, a win will help Da Nang cement their lead while full points for Nghe An will stop them from falling to the bottom half of the table.

After five matches, Da Nang have 12 points, one ahead of second-placed Dong Thap. Nghe An are in sixth place with seven points.

Nghe An suffered successive defeats against Pegasus of Hong Kong in the AFC Cup and Dong Thap in the V-League last weekend.

Da Nang seemed to have returned to winning ways after a blip against Dong Thap.

They have just been voted the league's best team of the month while their Argentinean striker Gaston Sebastian Merlo was voted the best player of the month.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News