The new V League season kicks off on Saturday, and SHB Da Nang are aiming for a top 3 finish although they will be without key midfielders Vo Huy Toan and Ho Ngoc Thang for the first half of the season due to injuries.

The Chi Lang Stadium

Toan scored 6 goals and Thang 3 in the league last year, and their performances for the club earned them call-ups for the national U23 team and the senior team.

"Da Nang want to finish in the top 3 this year. With the current squad and careful preparations, they are capable of meeting that target," said Bui Xuan Hoa, chairman of the club.

Ahead of the new season, the team have signed contracts with midfielders Le Hoang Thien and Nguyen Thanh Hai, former U23 national Lam Anh Quang, and some young players to strengthen their squad.

In terms of foreign players, SHB DN have agreed contracts with their former striker Gaston Merlo from Argentina and with Jamaican Horace James, also a striker.

Merlo and James scored 8 goals between them in a recent friendly tournament in Gia Lai Province.  31-year-old Merlo fell in love with the football-crazy city of Da Nang when he first started playing for the club in 2009. 

In his debut season, he scored 15 goals to help SHB DN win the league that season after a 17-year wait.  In total, he scored 68 goals for the team between 2008 and 2014.

"We only finished 9th out of 14 teams last year.  We will have to make some changes to turn things around," said coach Le Huynh Duc.

SHB DN boast a strong squad, with midfielder Nguyen Vu Phong, Chau Le Phuoc Vinh and striker Huynh Quoc Anh all on their books.

The fixture list also gives them an easy start to the season. In the first 5 matches, they face average teams including Dong Thap, Khanh Hoa and raw recruits Ha Noi T&T.

SHB DN’s first match is against Dong Thap at the Chi Lang Stadium on Saturday at 5pm.

(Source: VNS)