Not just a friendly tournament

BTV Cup, a pre-season tournament held annually by hosts Becamex Binh Duong, is always much expected by Vietnamese clubs. This year, as usual, will feature four club sides from Vietnam and four foreign clubs. It's a great opportunity for local clubs to prepare for upcoming V-League season, test new players and most importantly search for quality foreign players. Yes, BTV Cup is the biggest off-season international competition and also the biggest transfer market for Vietnamese clubs every year.

In Vietnam, the demand for good foreigners is very high but the scouting system is terrible. As most clubs never send scouts outside of Vietnam, most players found their way to Vietnam by introduction of agents or their friends who has experienced football here. Therefore, quality was a problem and most of them were rejected.

Super agent Jorge Mendes was seen with Henrique Calisto at BTV Cup 2009 during his visit to Vietnam

BTV Cup is a much more reliable source for potential signings. Every year, we can spot a big number of club scouts on the stands. They watch every game with the hope of finding a good addition to their club. Many top players of V-League have come to Vietnam by this way. Kesley Alves, Leandro, Philani and Elenildo de Jesus are good examples. Among 4 invited clubs, Matsubara has been known as a main supplier of Brazilian players for V-League for some recent years. French players of Etoile FC, champions of S-League, will be also on the radar this year.