Prepare early for the "big battle"

(Baonghean) - Due to a break in round 5, SLNA had plenty of time to prepare for their match against SHB Da Nang in round 6. However, recognizing this as an important match, Coach Huu Thang and his team couldn't afford to be complacent. Last weekend, the entire team traveled to Da Nang. The reason for departing so early was not only to familiarize themselves with the Chi Lang Stadium but also to avoid the biting cold in Vinh City.

Immediately after the match in Pleiku ended, Coach Nguyen Huu Thang and his team moved to Vinh to set up a training camp. However, over the past week, many training sessions of the Nghe An team had to be canceled due to the extremely cold weather. Some players showed signs of the flu, leading to less than ideal preparation for the match at Chi Lang.

SLNA always faces difficulties whenever they play at Chi Lăng Stadium.

Based on that situation, the SLNA coaching staff proposed to the leadership that they be allowed to depart early. Spending over a week in Da Nang would be very costly, but the need to avoid the cold and train comfortably was crucial, and the leadership of the Nghe An team agreed. After Valentine's Day on February 14th, the entire team departed and will spend a considerable amount of time in Da Nang preparing for the match against the home team at the end of the week.

As expected, due to the suspension of matches in the 5th round, SLNA has fallen behind in the standings. Coach Huu Thang's worries are even greater as the aftereffects of the two consecutive defeats are still very heavy. Many players have not yet regained their best mental state, while assembling a cohesive team remains a difficult challenge.

While SLNA's lineup was stable and effective in the first two matches of the season, things changed drastically from the third round onwards. This was partly due to objective reasons, such as player injuries, but also partly due to coach Nguyen Huu Thang's desire to give new players a chance, by fielding Hong Viet and The Cuong in the starting lineups against Thanh Hoa and HA.GL respectively. These substitutions proved ineffective, as there was a lack of chemistry in their play. Furthermore, the reshuffled defense repeatedly made mistakes, leading to painful goals conceded.

Before their trip to Da Nang, SLNA received good news as Dinh Dong and Manh Hung have returned to training. It is almost certain that these two players will feature in the upcoming match. In addition, Hoang Thinh is also showing signs of good recovery. SLNA's medical team stated that Thinh has recovered about 90% of his fitness and is ready to play. The return of this Vietnam U23 player is truly a lifesaver for coach Nguyen Huu Thang, as the midfield of the Nghe An team is currently very weak and lacking.

If a player with strong defensive capabilities like Hoang Thinh emerges, the midfield will be strengthened. Players like Moreira or Cong Vinh will also have more space to threaten the opponent's goal. It's highly likely that the starting lineup from the matches against Than Quang Ninh and QNK Quang Nam will be repeated. Accordingly, Cong Vinh will be moved to the wing, while the two foreign players will play further up the field and primarily focus on scoring goals.

Playing at Chi Lang Stadium is never easy, as evidenced by SLNA's three consecutive defeats in recent trips to Da Nang. It's a difficult task, but given the current situation of the Nghe An team, the goal is to get points at all costs, because another defeat could make things worse, and nobody knows what might happen.

The leadership has created all the necessary conditions, and the coaching staff and players have plenty of determination, but for the trip to be successful, SLNA still needs to strategize. Fans in Nghe An are waiting for Huu Thang's ability to turn things around, a man who always knows how to overcome pressure to achieve success.

Text and photos:Vinh Liem