Echoes of the Nghe Tinh Derby

Commendable results

In the context of a crisis in force and no good results in the first two rounds, the draw beforeHong Linh Ha Tinhis a commendable result for coach Pham Anh Tuan and his team. Especially, when Hong Linh Ha Tinh owns a fairly high-quality squad and won 2 matches in the first 2 rounds.

The developments on the field showed that. The away team soon had dangerous opportunities towards goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet's goal. Fortunately, the excellence of this goalkeeper from Tan Ky helped the Nghe An team keep a clean sheet in the first half.

However, the loss of concentration in the final minutes almost made Song Lam Nghe An pay the price. Player Pham Van Long quickly ran down to open the score for Hong Linh Ha Tinh in the 90+1 minute. This loss seemed to break the spirit of the Nghe An players.

But no! They still tried their best until the last minute and were rewarded with a beautiful equalizer by Benjamin Kuku. With this draw, Song Lam Nghe An could not improve their position on the rankings, but it will help coach Pham Anh Tuan's team have a better fighting spirit in the next matches.

Meanwhile, Hong Linh Ha Tinh continues to fly high on the rankings and is having the best start in V.League since participating in the highest tournament in Vietnam.

Benjamin Kuku opens an account

Song Lam Nghe An did not have many changes in their playing style, but the team's formation distance was adjusted more reasonably. The duo Michael Olaha andBenjamin Kukuplay closer together to complement each other.

This caused a lot of trouble for the central defender duo Adou Leygley Minh and Helerson. These two central defenders had to foul the Nigerian attacking duo right in front of the 16m50 box.

And one of them led to a beautiful equalizer by striker Benjamin Kuku. This was the first goal of this striker wearing the number 10 shirt in V.League and this was also the first goal ofLam River Nghe Anin this season.

Hopefully, this goal will help Benjamin Kuku gain more confidence to shine in the upcoming rounds.

The Returns

The recent Nghe Tinh Derby witnessed quite a few returns. First, central defender Ho Khac Luong returned after nearly a year of injury. It was the match against Hong Linh Ha Tinh last season that caused this central defender born in 2001 to suffer a serious injury and had to miss the entire 2023/2024 season. Ho Khac Luong's return is very important, helping to strengthen the Nghe An team's defense. The place is full of holes due to injuries and penalty cards.

Another notable return is midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien. After more than 7 months, this midfielder born in 2003 has had the opportunity to return to the starting lineup. 74 minutes on the field showed Dinh Xuan Tien's good qualities. Those are soft dribbling, clever passes and good finishing ability. If he was luckier, Dinh Xuan Tien could have opened the score in the 59th minute after a tricky free kick. However, this midfielder still needs to improve his physical strength and stretching ability to be able to play the full 90 minutes and make a difference in the final stages.

In addition to Dinh Xuan Tien and Ho Khac Luong, Vinh Stadium also witnessed the return of Ho Van Cuong. After more than 1 year and 3 months, this defender born in 2003 has the opportunity to play on Vinh Stadium's grass. Ho Van Cuong's speed and attacking ability are still very good. And as long as he is in the best physical condition, Ho Van Cuong will be an important player for the Nghe An team this season.

There are still many points to overcome

If it weren't for the brilliance of goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet, Song Lam Nghe An would have conceded a goal in the first minutes of the match. This stemmed from Xuan Binh losing the ball on the home field. This is not the first time this defender has made this mistake this season. Therefore, not only Xuan Binh but also other players of Song Lam Nghe An must learn from their experiences to avoid repeating it in the next match.

In addition, there were situations where the tackles were too fierce and unnecessary. In the last match, the Vinh stadium audience was shocked many times after the two-footed tackles by Bui Thanh Duc and Dang Quang Tu. If the referee had been stricter, these could have been red cards. This will make it difficult for Song Lam Nghe An to get 1 point at Vinh stadium.

This is a problem that has been occurring continuously in the first 3 rounds of the tournament.Lam River Nghe AnTherefore, the coaching staff of the Nghe An team needs to have reminders and deterrences to avoid unnecessary penalties in the next rounds.

Winning 1 point against Hong Linh Ha Tinh, who are in good form, is a successful result for coach Pham Anh Tuan's team. Hopefully, it will help the Nghe An team gain confidence and perform better in the next stages of the V.League./.