Nghe An Football 2015: A Contrasting Picture

(Baonghean) - While the V-League team and SLNA's youth teams not only failed to win any titles but also created scandals, in the amateur arena, tournaments flourished with many diverse forms of competition...

Sad exclamation mark

In early September 2015, from the plan to “burn” Vinh city in the last match of V-League 2015 when SLNA met SHB.Da Nang, on forums, Nghe An Fans Association announced the cancellation and immediately announced the end of cheering activities for the 2015 season. This action, whether spontaneous or carefully considered, was a sad exclamation mark for a year of dismal performance of SLNA teams, in both professional and youth tournaments.

In the professional arena, SLNA started the 2015 season with a big change in the coaching bench. Coach Nguyen Huu Thang - who contributed greatly to SLNA winning the V-League championship in the 2011 season and was a spiritual support for the players, left after more than 4 years of association. The person chosen to replace him was also another veteran of SLNA, U17 coach Ngo Quang Truong. Along with that, veteran player Le Cong Vinh, Captain of the 2014 season, also left the team to join B.Binh Duong.

SLNA fell many times right on the "holy land" of Vinh in the 2015 season.

In youth tournaments, SLNA had a year without any trophies. SLNA's U13 and U15 teams did not make any noise and did not even make it to the semi-finals. The same was true in the national U17 tournament, the SLNA youth team disappointed when they played sluggishly and were completely overshadowed by other elite representatives such as Viettel or PVF and were soon eliminated. In the national U21 qualifying round, despite being the defending champion, after 4 rounds, the Nghe An youth team only had 1 win, 1 draw, lost the remaining 2 matches and ranked 3rd overall.

Defender Que Ngoc Hai's tackle broke the leg of player Anh Khoa (Da Nang).

Not only was SLNA's 2015 season poor in terms of results, it was also associated with unforgettable scandals. That was when central defender Que Ngoc Hai, the team's most successful symbol in the season, had a two-footed tackle that seriously injured midfielder Anh Khoa of Da Nang, creating the most controversial verdict in V-League history and losing the opportunity to contribute to the national teams in international tournaments. That was also when central defender Manh Hung, after being given a yellow card, rushed to demand a settlement with the referee in the National U21 Championship Qualifiers.

Popular playground movement

While Nghe An professional football had a year to forget, grassroots football had remarkable developments. In January 2015, for the first time, a provincial-level grassroots football association was officially established, with legal status, its own headquarters, accounts and seal, operating in accordance with the law and the association's charter approved by the competent state agency. This is the inevitable result of the strong development of grassroots football in the province in recent times, with more than 200 clubs and many large and small tournaments organized by the clubs themselves every year.

Players compete in Vinh League 2015.

Along with the tournaments of Nghe An Amateur Football Association, in 2015, the province's football also had another playground, which was the 2015 Commune and Ward Football Tournament held at the end of October at Vinh City Stadium. The predecessor was the Provincial Farmers' Football Tournament held since the 1990s. Since 2011, this tournament was renamed the Commune and Ward Football Tournament, and the tournament's regulations have also changed. The participants are not only farmers but also civil servants, public employees, workers and the football team of a district, city or town participating in the tournament does not come from many communes and wards as before but is entirely within one commune or ward.

Hop Thanh commune football team (Yen Thanh) won the 2015 Nghe An province commune and ward football championship.

This year, the matches at the Commune and Ward Football Tournament have always been very dramatic, high quality and attracted a large number of spectators to watch. Although each football team of the district, city and town is limited to only one commune or ward, according to the assessment of sports officials, this regulation has encouraged districts, cities and towns to build a model commune or ward for the sports movement in general and football in particular, and at the same time organize district-level tournaments for communes and wards to affirm their strength, contributing to promoting the football movement in particular and mass sports in general in the locality.

Minh Quan