FLC Thanh Hoa - SLNA (2-0): Using people from Nghe An to beat people from Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - With a quality squad and the renowned European coach Ljupko Petrovic at the helm, it was predictable that FLC Thanh Hoa would attack more. However, the tactic of "using people from Nghe An to defeat people from Nghe An" shows that the Serbian coach has adapted to the V-League very quickly.

The homeowner used the tactic of "fighting fire with fire".

Regarding the reason why Thanh Hoa's home team suffered 4 defeats in 7 encounters over the past 2 seasons (2 wins, 1 draw), it was due to a lack of "steel" in the midfield. Therefore, when Hoang Thinh was injured and unable to play, coach Ljupko Petrovic experimented with Trong Hoang and Bat Hieu in this position to partner with Van Binh.

Ultimately, he decided to choose Trong Hoang, perhaps because this player combined better with Van Binh, another player from the Nghe An youth academy. Hoang and Binh also played with more passion and understood their opponents better. In fact, Trong Hoang pushed SLNA's central midfield pair, Ngoc Hai and Khac Ngoc, back into their own half. Hoang "the bull" didn't shy away from physical contact with his younger teammate Ngoc Hai, even after receiving a yellow card.

Meanwhile, Dinh Dong, playing as a right-back, quickly relegated Xuan Manh to the bench and significantly limited The Cuong, the substitute left midfielder. Not only did he defend well, but Dinh Dong, along with Quoc Phuong and Trong Hoang, also tormented SLNA's defender Ngoc Duc.

Thanh Hóa (in yellow jerseys) inflicted a convincing defeat on visiting team SLNA.

Midfielder Van Binh was undoubtedly the best player from Nghe An province in the match. This number 9 player played quite cleverly, appearing in key areas to block SLNA's attacks and reading the game very well. Having played for SLNA for many years, Van Binh understood the space behind the central defenders and grasped goalkeeper Nguyen Manh's weakness when he came out of his goal without shouting instructions to the defenders. While the first goal showed some clumsiness from Manh Hung, the second goal was a deliberate setup, with Trong Hoang assisting Uche, who simply had to kick the ball into the net.

With a prize money of up to 500 million VND for the win, and the appearance of national team head coach Huu Thang, the young FLC Thanh Hoa players and the trio from Nghe An province received a complete package: prize money and image enhancement.

The customers are bored and frustrated.

Throughout the match, both teams used a 4-4-2 formation, but the game on the field was completely different, because FLC Thanh Hoa had more options. The central midfield pair of Van Binh and Trong Hoang did a great job of disrupting SLNA's attack, leaving Henry and Olaha starved of the ball.

Meanwhile, Thanh Bình on the left wing and Quốc Phương on the right wing constantly moved around, causing Sỹ Sâm and Ngọc Đức to struggle on several occasions. Omar and Uche themselves were capable of creating chances, causing center-backs Minh Đức and Mạnh Hùng to be disoriented on many occasions.

FLC Thanh Hóa held possession for 58%, launching 18 shots on goal, including 7 dangerous situations where the home team's strikers faced Nguyên Mạnh one-on-one. SLNA only managed 6 shots on goal, with only Henry's long-range shot causing goalkeeper Thành Thái some difficulty.

In the second half, despite trailing 0-2, the game's dynamics didn't change significantly. In fact, the coaching staff even "raised the white flag," substituting Phi Son to prepare for the match against SXKT.Can Tho, and moving Ngoc Hai to center back showed that the SLNA coaching staff still hadn't found a true playmaker in the midfield.

When the opposing team adopts a fast-paced, aggressive style of play, none of SLNA's midfielders are confident enough to control the ball and coordinate passes. SLNA's crosses from the flanks are often easily neutralized by center-back Van Bakel (FLC Thanh Hoa), while Henry has to drop deep into his own half to defend against aerial balls. With 8 out of 14 teams featuring 3 foreign players and naturalized players, SLNA will face many more difficulties.

Fans in Nghe An province are unlikely to be satisfied with SLNA's performance, which relies solely on long passes and left-footed attacks, while several players, including Manh Hung, played as if they were half-asleep. While it's understandable that this is only the first match of the season, the current level of foreign players, coupled with a lack of playmakers, means the SLNA coaching staff will need considerable time to make adjustments. It's highly probable that after this derby, new faces will be tested to replace those who have consistently disappointed in recent years.

N@T