National Cup 2023 - the most feasible destination of Song Lam Nghe An

SLNA players actively practice before the opening match of the National Cup. Photo: Duc Anh

What has Song Lam Nghe An improved during the recent break?

At the end of round 4 of V.League 2023, the clubs will have a break of more than 1 month. This is an opportunity for the Nghe An team to improve their playing style, as well as help the coaching staff strengthen the spirit and confidence of their students.

Coach Huy Hoang shared: “The break of more than 1 month is very good for Song Lam Nghe An. We have been working hard in the past time, to prepare the best force for the next rounds of V.League and especially the opening match of the 2023 National Cup”.

In the first 4 rounds, Song Lam Nghe An did not achieve the expected results. This problem partly came from the way the Nghe team launched attacks that were not very diverse, the situations approaching the opponent's goal were still monotonous, and did not contain the element of surprise. On the other hand, the way the Song Lam Nghe An defensive system operated sometimes lacked synchronization. The Nghe defenders did not show coordination in their ability to support and cover each other. In addition, the psychological factor also greatly affected the team's playing style. Therefore, Song Lam Nghe An lost points at important moments. Especially in the match against Khanh Hoa in round 4, Song Lam Nghe An was equalized by the home team in the last seconds.

Coach Huy Hoang instructs his students on exercises. Photo: Duc Anh

In order to overcome these weaknesses, the coaching staff of Song Lam Nghe An has had nearly a month of training to correct the limitations of the players, with the hope of bringing more convincing matches. Through monitoring in recent training sessions, the Vinh team has formed a framework, along with a fairly stable tactical diagram. They have built many highly diverse attacking options. "We are perfecting the tactical diagram. Rebuilding the way for players to do better in switching from defense to attack and vice versa. In the first 4 matches of V.League 2023, there were many errors in defense and we need to fix that problem" - Coach Huy Hoang said.

National Cup is a possible destination for Song Lam Nghe An

Returning to the 2023 National Cup, in the opening match, Song Lam Nghe An will play at home against the team playing in the First Division - Quang Nam. This is an ambitious team, this season, they are determined to be promoted. To achieve this goal, the home team Tam Ky owns a series of quality players such as Dinh Bac, Dong Trieu, Cao Xuan Thang, Vo Ngoc Duc, Ngan Van Dai... In addition, Quang Nam is also led by experienced coach Mr. Van Sy Son. He has many years of association with Song Lam Nghe An, so he is very knowledgeable about Nghe football. This is a great advantage for Quang Nam when meeting Song Lam Nghe An in the National Cup.

Therefore, overcoming Quang Nam is not an easy task. With the advantages they have, Quang Nam can completely create a surprise against Song Lam Nghe An even though they have to play at Vinh Stadium.

Coach Huy Hoang assessed his opponent: “It can be affirmed that Quang Nam is not a weak team. As you know, last season they ranked 3rd in the National First Division. This year Quang Nam has added many quality young players. Their squad will have a combination of young players and experienced strikers, so I think this team is one of the strong teams in the First Division.”

The coach of Song Lam Nghe An added: “Mr. Van Sy Son - Head Coach of Quang Nam understands the football teams in Vietnam very well, especially Nghe An football. In the past, he led the Hanoi team to play in the V.League, so the professional capacity of this coach has been confirmed. I think he will make the Quang Nam team stronger in the near future. Therefore, the match between Song Lam Nghe An and Quang Nam will be worth watching”.

After returning from U23 Vietnam, midfielder Manh Quynh is showing confidence in training sessions. Photo: Duc Anh

Fans believe that, with their current strength, Song Lam Nghe An will find it difficult to enter the medal group in V.League 2023. Because clubs like Hanoi FC, Binh Dinh, Nam Dinh, Hanoi Police or Viettel all have famous players, strikers who can change the game. Meanwhile, Song Lam Nghe An is in the process of rejuvenating the squad, many players have not reached the necessary maturity to be able to play stably throughout the season. Therefore, the National Cup is a practical destination, where Song Lam Nghe An can find the first achievement under the "dynasty" of Tan Long.

Faced with the importance of this tournament, the Nghe An coach expressed his determination and desire: “I want the Song Lam Nghe An players to play their best in the National Cup, for the flag and for the fans. I ask the players to learn from the first 4 matches to do better in the upcoming matches. The V.League has only gone through 4 rounds and there are still many matches ahead to strive for. However, in the National Cup, we have to play in a knockout match, so we have to play calmly and fight our best to hope for good results. At home, our goal is to win against Quang Nam.”

After the recent break, Song Lam Nghe An has been working hard with the hope of bringing back more positive results. And the match in the National Cup is the stage for this team to prove to the audience that change. Let's hope that Song Lam Nghe An will play better when competing with Quang Nam in the qualifying round of the National Cup 2023, taking place at 6:00 p.m. on April 1, at Vinh Stadium.