Interesting behind-the-scenes story behind Song Lam Nghe An's decisive victory over Viettel The Cong Club
The victory of Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) against The Cong Viettel Club at Lach Tray Stadium not only helped the Nghe An team complete the goal of safely finishing in V.League 2023/2024 but also witnessed the maturity of young players.
In the 2023/2024 season, Song Lam Nghe An is the team with the youngest average age in V.League (22.7 years old). Among them, many new players aged 18 - 19 are trusted to be given the opportunity to be in the starting lineup in many matches. These include Nguyen Quang Vinh (born 2005), Le Dinh Long Vu (born 2006), Bui Thanh Duc (2006), Phan Van Thanh (born 2006) ...
Because they have many players born in 2006, Song Lam Nghe An has encountered many unusual situations. From having to ask for the U19 Vietnam players to join the team late because they are busy competing in the V.League 2023/2024, to anxiously waiting for the players to take their graduation exams.
Before the match against Viettel The Cong Club, players Le Dinh Long Vu, Bui Thanh Duc and Phan Van Thanh still had to take the high school graduation exam in 2024. Therefore, on the night of June 27, the players had to immediately move to Hai Phong to attend the match in Round 26. In which, Bui Thanh Duc was in the starting lineup and Le Dinh Long Vu entered the field from the bench.
For player Phan Van Thanh - former U17 Vietnam player, with good academic performance, it is known that he will study at a university with a part-time program. Also taking the 2024 high school graduation exam this time are players who are preparing for the U19 Southeast Asian Championship such as Pham Nguyen Quoc Trung, Phung Van Nam, Nguyen Trong Tuan... All have quite positive exam results.
Last season, except for young center back Phan Van Thanh who only played in the National Cup, the young players of Song Lam Nghe An all had significantly more "flight time" in the V.League than the star players of other clubs.
At the end of V.League 2023/2024, it is expected that a series of players from the U21 Song Lam Nghe An team will be added to participate in the National U21 Tournament. With a squad consisting of many players from the U19 Vietnam team and currently playing in the V.League, Song Lam Nghe An is one of the most worth-watching teams in this tournament.
Although Song Lam Nghe An's rejuvenation strategy is quite risky, up to this moment, the Nghe An team has had an extremely important preparation step for the upcoming stage. Not many clubs in the V.League dare to experiment and give opportunities to young players to shoulder the responsibility in the most fierce playground of Vietnamese football.
It is expected that in the new season, Song Lam Nghe An plans to retain striker Michael Olaha and recruit 2 more quality foreign players to set higher goals in V.Legaue 2024/2025, scheduled to start in September 2024./.
