Hanoi FC vs. SLNA: How to neutralize Hoang Vu Samson?

(Baonghean.vn) -Hoang VuSamson - a talented but troublesome player - helpedHanoi FC defeated the team from Nghe An province twice.

It wasn't until their 14th encounter (August 9, 2015) that substitute Hoang Vu Samson helped Hanoi FC secure their first victory against the Nghe An team. Furthermore, this Nigerian player went on to score in a 3-1 win at Vinh Stadium in the 2016 V-League season.

Naturalized player Hoang Vu Samson is considered to be very talented but also very troublesome. Photo: DN

Three glues that left a strong impression.Samson

In the first leg of the 2015 V-League season, coach Phan Thanh Hung's team suffered a crushing 0-2 defeat at Vinh Stadium. They had to play the return leg at Hang Day Stadium, in front of 10,000 fans from Nghe An province, while also having just exerted themselves in the National Cup semi-final.

After winning the V-League 2014 top scorer title, Hoang Vu Samson returned to his hometown for medical treatment. Due to flight ticket issues, he arrived in Hanoi quite late. Because he didn't train much with the coaching staff of HN.T&T (the name of HN FC at the time), they had to leave him on the bench.

Twenty minutes into the match, SLNA's midfield, under the direction of Quang Tình, pressed HN.T&T back into their own half, and Samson requested to come on as a substitute. Just minutes after coming on, Samson capitalized on a sharp pass from Văn Quyết, turning it into a valuable goal that helped HN T&T overcome SLNA after many years of waiting.

Samson's unexpected goal inside the penalty area also acted as a psychological blow, strongly impacting the morale of the SLNA players. Evidence of this was that, a few minutes later, captain Quang Tình himself sent the ball over the crossbar from the penalty spot, squandering the visitors' chance to equalize.

In Round 13 of the 2016 V-League season, at Vinh Stadium, after Phi Son equalized 1-1 in the 62nd minute, Hoang Vu Samson himself scored to make it 2-1. This goal against SLNA helped him reach the milestone of 120 goals in the V-League and become the greatest goalscorer in the history of the tournament.

Van Quyet's penalty goal secured a 3-1 victory in Vinh, a victory of great significance for Hanoi T&T. This ended the capital city team's winless streak against SLNA in their away matches. This also marked the last time Hanoi T&T had failed to win at their home stadium in history.

In the second leg of the 17th round of the 2016 V-League at Hang Day Stadium, Hoàng Vũ Samson, playing as a right midfielder in a 4-1-4-1 formation, completely dominated SLNA's left flank, defended by left-back Thế Nhật. Hùng Dũng scored the winning goal, but Văn Quyết and Samson were the two best players of the match.

In their last three V-League encounters, SLNA have lost to Hanoi FC, and Hoang Vu Samson has truly been a nemesis for the Nghe An team. Samson has both disrupted SLNA's gameplay and directly scored crucial goals against them.

Aerial combat and tactical maneuvers

Aerial duels are considered a strong point for Hanoi FC. Photo: DN

According to our sources, it is highly likely that the versatile playerGonzalo is still unavailable for the match at Hang Day Stadium. Clearly, with Samson and Moses having relatively similar playing styles, SLNA's defense has a bit of a breathing room, but that doesn't mean the Nghe An team will easily gain the upper hand. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem also has center-back Alvaro Linares Silva, who is excellent in aerial duels and has scored 3 goals so far.

Defender Van Khanh will have the opportunity to face Hoang Vu Samson again, a talented player and top striker in the V-League for the past six years. He holds the record for the most goals scored in the V-League. It's worth noting that after many years of competing in the V-League, he has become extremely cunning in his confrontations with defenders.

In the 2012 V-League, Samson sprinted down the right wing, and SLNA defender Huy Hoang made a dangerous two-footed tackle. Samson dodged it but didn't forget to "gift" Huy Hoang a kick to the face with the sole of his boot.

Two years later, Hanoi T&T traveled to Hai Phong's Lach Tray stadium. During a play on the left wing, Samson was fouled by Van Nam right near the touchline. He immediately jumped up and retaliated. The subsequent brawl with the Hai Phong player involved Samson punching Van Nhien in the face and receiving a red card. In Round 3 of the 2017 V-League, he brazenly kicked HAGL player Chau Ngoc Quang in the thigh, causing controversy among experts and resulting in a two-match suspension.

There's no other way; in this afternoon's match against Hanoi FC, the young players of SLNA, especially Que Ngoc Hai, must keep a cool head when marking Samson, a player with great talent but also many flaws.

AT