What are the chances for Song Lam Nghe An at the National Cup?

However, they still have bigger challenges ahead, so whether they continue or stop at the National Cup still needs time to determine.

Fulfill your wish

Reaching the semi-finals of the 2024/25 National Cup is an unexpected achievement forLam River Nghe An. However, if we look back at the schedule of the Vinh team in this arena, we can see that they were somewhat lucky to reach the semi-finals only having to face not-so-strong teams. In the round of 16, it was SHB Da Nang - a team that is currently struggling at the bottom of the V-League rankings. Meanwhile, in the quarter-finals, Song Lam Nghe An only had to face Dong Thap - who is struggling in the First Division.

However, it was not easy for Song Lam Nghe An to "bully" Dong Thap. In the first 60 minutes of the match, coach Phan Nhu Thuat's students fell into a deadlock when they could not find a way to approach goalkeeper Thanh Tuan's goal (Dong Thap). And the knot was only untied when coach Phan Nhu Thuat put important players on the field. The trio Ho Van Cuong, Quang Vinh and Xuan Tien appeared, helping Song Lam Nghe An's playing style become smoother and more graceful. The two goals came quickly as if it was inevitable in coach Phan Nhu Thuat's calculations. In the 70th minute, Xuan Dai opened the scoring with a close-range shot. Just 8 minutes later, Xuan Tien made a beautiful volley, raising the score to 2-0 for Song Lam Nghe An. Although Dong Thap scored an equalizer in the final minutes, the home team Vinh still maintained the victory, winning a ticket to the semi-finals of the 2024/25 National Cup.

It must be said that the coach from Nghe An was quite skillful in using the right people at the right time. This showed the experience of Song Lam Nghe An compared to a team playing in the First Division. It can be said that this victory will bring many positive aspects to Song Lam Nghe An. And the most obvious thing is that the team of coach Phan Nhu Thuat will have a mental boost in the difficult journey to find a ticket to stay in the V-League arena.

“The match against Dong Thap was very difficult but this was a worthy victory for Song Lam Nghe An. Personally, I hope this victory will help the whole team have good spirit to look forward to the upcoming journey. We will have to try harder to complete the goal of staying in the league. Hopefully the fans will come to the stadium to cheer for Song Lam Nghe An, first of all in the match against Ho Chi Minh City Club” – Xuan Tien shared after helping his team overcome Dong Thap.

Not only creating a mental boost for the whole team, this victory helped Song Lam Nghe An fulfill their wish by bringing home the first title under Tan Long's "time".

As we know, after 4 years, Tan Long has not made any significant mark for Song Lam Nghe An and this is the most memorable milestone that they can be proud of when compared to teams with more potential. In particular, a fan of Hong Linh Ha Tinh expressed his admiration for the neighboring team when he said: "Talking about this and that, this record, that record, but in the end still empty-handed. Congratulations to Song Lam Nghe An for getting a medal".

Although Song Lam Nghe An's journey to the semi-finals of the 2024/25 National Cup was somewhat smooth, it cannot be denied that the Nghe An team knew how to take advantage of opportunities and show their mettle at the right time. The victory over Dong Thap not only helped coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team reach a memorable milestone but also created great motivation for the goal of staying in the V-League. More importantly, this is also the first mark that Song Lam Nghe An has achieved under Tan Long's "time". And for those who love the Nghe An team, this journey certainly still has many things to look forward to.

Go ahead or stop?

However, to continue on the journey to conquer the 2024/25 National Cup, Song Lam Nghe An will face many challenges. Coach Phan Nhu Thuat admitted that he has not thought about further goals such as a ticket to the National Cup final: “In the immediate future, Song Lam Nghe An will focus on the V.League arena. But having reached this far, we are determined to play each match. If we have the opportunity to go further, we will strive for the highest achievement.”

This is understandable, because if they focus all their forces on the National Cup, Song Lam Nghe An will face many risks, including the risk of players being injured and losing strength, directly affecting the relegation race in the V.League. Currently, there is still no exact schedule for the semi-finals of the National Cup 2024/25, so it is very difficult for the coaching staff of the Nghe An team to balance both arenas.

If the semi-final match takes place at the end of May, when Song Lam Nghe An has gained an advantage in the relegation battle, then certainly, coach Phan Nhu Thuat will focus all his human resources on the semi-final match. On the contrary, if the worst happens, they will have to calculate how to use their forces more reasonably.

However, V-League is still the number 1 priority, where the survival of a team is affected. Therefore, the answer to whether to continue or stop will only be when Song Lam Nghe An achieves favorable results in the upcoming rounds of V-League./.