SLNA coaching staff's mark in match against SHB.Da Nang

(Baonghean.vn) - Obviously, SLNA was pushed into a corner when B.Binh Duong and XSKT Can Tho won in the early match of round 18. In the match at the same time, Long An surprisingly also won against the host HAGL. SLNA must get 3 points against SHB.Da Nang if they do not want to be caught up and surpassed by the teams at the bottom of the table.

Facing an opponent with a strong attack with names like Merlo, Gramoz, Duc Chinh, Vu Phong... SLNA's coaching staff must face a choice: Defend tightly to earn 1 point or risk accepting to play an open game? Focus on marking Merlo tightly or prevent the players from making the ball? How to limit the opponent's aerial attacks?

SLNA's coaching staff has done a good job of psychologically preparing the players after a series of 7 matches in V-League 2017 with only draws and losses to confidently step onto Hoa Xuan Stadium. That has contributed significantly to a worthy victory over the ambitious SHB.Da Nang.

After 8 matches, SLNA players had the joy of victory. Photo: DN

Disrupt the opponent's gameplay

It has been a long time since SLNA's coaching staff chose to disrupt the opponent's play and wait for opportunities. This is not the Nghe An team's forte because coach Duc Thang does not have many players who can play strangely like Thanh Luong and Van Quyet (Hanoi).

But against an opponent who was in high spirits after the 3-0 victory over XSKT.Can Tho in the previous round, SLNA's coaching staff used the foreign pair Danko and Olaha to start together for the first time in attack. These two foreign players were asked to hold the ball, continuously dribbling on the right wing, making Gramoz and Vu Phong tired to follow the ball. Throughout the first half, the home team's midfield struggled to cope with the simple play of the Nghe An team.

To limit Ha Duc Chinh's crosses, SLNA's coaching staff used the pair Manh Hung and The Cuong to guard the left wing. Compared to Van Duc, midfielder The Cuong has more experience, Manh Hung, after a period of injury, has done a relatively good job of defending. In addition, The Cuong left his mark in the only goal of the match in a rare time playing in the starting lineup.

As a coach who started out as a goalkeeper, Duc Thang did a good job of psychologically directing goalkeeper Nguyen Manh to come out and limit the aerial ability of Merlo, the best header in the V-League for many years. It was Nguyen Manh's confident entry and exit that created peace of mind for the whole team, extinguishing all hopes of the home team's attack.

It has been a long time since fans have seen the reasonableness of the starting lineup and the substitutions of SLNA's coaching staff. If Phuc Tinh was effective right after entering the field, Van Duc and Van Vinh, with their good individual skills, controlled the ball, kept the rhythm of the match and protected the fragile score.

Back to basics

Nghe An fans braved the rain to cheer for SLNA. Photo: DN

Facing the home team SHB.Da Nang, who were rated higher, SLNA players chose their favorite style of play, fiercely fighting for the ball all over the field. Unlike many matches, when leading, SLNA defenders cleared the ball randomly, in this afternoon's match, Nghe An players calmly deployed the ball. The central defenders Ngoc Hai and Van Khanh played with concentration, which significantly limited Do Merlo's killer instinct, especially in aerial battles.

Midfielders Khac Ngoc and Ngoc Toan played with all their might, sometimes using their whole bodies to block the opponent's attack. Many Nghe players received yellow cards from referee Quoc Hung, but that moved the Nghe audience in the stands.

Watching player Phi Son leave the field on a stretcher due to a muscle strain, To Minh - a Nghe An fan in the stands shared: "If we keep playing like this, even if we don't win, we fans will still be happy."

In fact, more than 1,000 spectators braved the rain to cheer on the SLNA players at Hoa Xuan Stadium and they were duly rewarded. Hopefully, this important victory will create psychological momentum for the Nghe An team when they visit B.Binh Duong in the next round./.

AT