Traumatic storm hits Song Lam Nghe An

The race for relegation this season is more intense than ever. Standing 12th on the rankings after 20 rounds,Lam River Nghe Anonly 3 points ahead of the second-to-last team Binh Dinh, while having played 1 more match. The gap with Da Nang, the team ranked 14th, is also only 5 points after the Han River team unexpectedly defeated Thanh Hoa with a score of 1-0. In that context, the fact that the pillars got injured one after another was like a strong "punch" to the fight for the goal of staying in the league of the Nghe An team.

Since the beginning of the season, left-back Bui Thanh Duc has been out of action for a long time due to a serious injury. This loss has left Song Lam Nghe An's left flank vulnerable and always facing the risk of being short of players.

However, the difficulties have not stopped there. Recently, in the match of round 20 against The Cong Viettel, two more names joined the list of "sick soldiers": defender Vuong Van Huy and midfielder Ngo Van Luong.

Vuong Van Huy, a left-back born in 2001, suffered an ankle injury after a strong collision. According to doctors, he will need at least 2 weeks to recover. The absence of Van Huy is a big loss for Song Lam Nghe An. The player from Yen Thanh is a durable defender, not afraid of collision, has the ability to stick to opponents very well and often has rhythmic attacks and defenses. Up to now, Van Huy has played 20 matches this season - one of the 2 best achievements of the team. His stability and good physical strength is a solid "shield" on the left wing, something that Song Lam Nghe An will find very difficult to find a worthy replacement for in this difficult period.

No less important, Ngo Van Luong, who plays in the left midfielder position and is in good form, will also have to rest for at least 2 weeks. Luong's injury came from a strong collision with a player from The Cong Viettel. Van Luong's aggressiveness and sudden attacking ability have helped Song Lam Nghe An a lot in tense matches. As evidence, he scored a beautiful goal in the match against Quang Nam in round 19.

Previously, after round 19, Song Lam Nghe An received more bad news when captain Hoang Van Khanh suffered an ankle injury during a training session. The player wearing the number 55 shirt, who is considered the "soul" of Song Lam Nghe An's defense, could not participate in the last key match and is expected to be absent at least until round 23, when the Nghe team faces Hong Linh Ha Tinh.

The absence of Van Khanh has caused the defense of Song Lam Nghe An to lose a reliable stopper. In addition, without the 1995-born center-back, the defense of the Vinh team will lack a commanding voice and a defensive rhythm. The experience and battle prowess of this veteran center-back is always a support for the young players of the Nghe team, especially in "hot" moments on the field.

Amidst the bad news, Song Lam Nghe An finally received a glimmer of hope. Center-back Zaracho was able to return to light training in the afternoon training session on April 27. If everything goes smoothly, Zaracho will likely be fit enough to play in the away match at Lach Tray Stadium against Hai Phong. Zaracho's return will be a big boost for Song Lam Nghe An's defense, especially in the context of a serious shortage of players.

However, the fact that Zaracho has only been practicing lightly and is not yet in the best physical condition has also forced the team's coaching staff to carefully calculate the possibility of risking using him.

In the remaining part of the season, Song Lam Nghe An will face very strong opponents. They will have a difficult trip to Lach Tray Stadium to meet Hai Phong, a team that always plays with great passion at home. After that, Song Lam Nghe An will face teams in high form such as Hanoi FC and Hong Linh Ha Tinh.

In the context of a seriously depleted force, coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his colleagues are facing a difficult problem of how to gain points in the key rounds ahead.

It is difficult to find a convincing solution, but perhaps only when Nghe An players maintain their confidence, promote their strong will, along with a reasonable strategy from the coaching staff, can Song Lam Nghe An overcome the danger in this year's season.