FLC Thanh Hoa – SLNA: A difficult journey!

(Baonghean)- This Sunday (5:00 p.m., May 8), Coach Ngo Quang Truong's team will enter the North Central derby with the Thanh Hoa team, within the framework of round 9 of V-League 2016. The journey is predicted to be difficult for the Nghe team as the Thanh team's position and strength are much stronger than before...

The confrontations between FLC Thanh Hoa and SLNA are always exciting and dramatic.

Entering the 2016 V-League season, the Nghe An team is still struggling financially, leading to a talent “bleeding” that has no end in sight. This has forced a series of key players to leave to find new destinations, leaving fans with many regrets. Among them, Ngo Hoang Thinh is the name that has attracted the most attention from the public when he decided to join the neighboring team with a fateful relationship - FLC Thanh Hoa...

The departure of the pillars is an opportunity for the talented young generation to show their talent. However, they have disappointed fans because of their lack of experience in the highest tournament of Vietnamese football. In addition to the "precious gem" Que Ngoc Hai, most of the pillars such as Phi Son, Nguyen Manh, Dinh Hoang... have declined in performance, especially defender Manh Hung, who has left many doubts with his amateur "blocking" moves... That explains why after 8 rounds of the season, SLNA has only won 9 points with 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses. A team with a rich tradition and the most achievements in Vietnamese football is now down to 11th place on the rankings with an ambiguous playing style, poor attack and weak defense.

However, that does not mean that coach Quang Truong and his team will "resign" to reality. He has boldly put in experiments with the faint hope that "smart things will emerge". Rearranging personnel and re-energizing the players is what SLNA's coaching staff must do immediately to maintain the hope of scoring points in the away match at Thanh Hoa Stadium.

This trip to Thanh Hoa, coach Quang Truong and his team encountered many difficulties, but fans will still believe in surprises. Because, SLNA took the field with the strongest lineup when the "soul" of the team - Que Ngoc Hai returned after the red card penalty in the match against HAGL, in round 7. That will bring certainty to SLNA's defense, and there will be more opportunities to launch attacks thanks to the player's long, delicate passes. Besides, FLC Thanh Hoa has also revealed a weakness on the left wing of the defense. That will be the reason for coach Quang Truong to trust Xuan Thang with the hope that with his speed and good penetrating ability to attack, he will bring surprises.

Remember, when Thanh Hoa, also led by coach Le Thuy Hai, was at the top of the table with a chance to win the championship, they were unexpectedly defeated 2-3 by SLNA right at Thanh Hoa stadium. This time, it is possible that once again the Thanh team will have to swallow the bitter pill, even though they are ranked higher.

Meanwhile, with the new owner, FLC Thanh Hoa has transformed from a poor team into a tycoon. With a strong financial foundation, they have made a series of sensational transfer deals. Names such as Omar, Ivan Firer, Dinh Dong, Hoang Thinh, ... are helping Thanh Hoa to get the 2nd position on the rankings with 5 wins after 7 rounds and an impressive scoring record of 16 times breaking through the opponent's net. Obviously, the teams in V.League are forced to look at FLC Thanh Hoa with different eyes. Because they are the heavyweights in the race to the throne.

FLC Thanh Hoa’s ambition is to win the championship. Therefore, they will not accept losing points at home against a SLNA team that is on the decline. The determination to keep 3 points to shorten the gap with the top team – Hai Phong is the motivation for them to make SLNA’s journey more difficult. Can coach Quang Truong and his team overcome this “bad luck”? Let’s wait and see…

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