SLNA's poor attacking performance in V.League 2021

On the V.League standings right now,SLNACurrently sitting in 10th place, with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, they have 7 points. This position is certainly not safe, especially with only half of the first phase remaining. Notably, while SLNA's defense has only conceded 6 goals, averaging 1 goal per game, their attack has been less impressive, scoring only 5 goals.

Of SLNA's five goals, three were scored by Phan Văn Đức, two of which came in the victory against SHB Đà Nẵng in round 5. In the six matches played so far, coach Ngô Quang Trường has used a total of 20 players in various positions. This includes one goalkeeper and six defenders. Of the remaining players, only foreign player Bruno Henrique has scored one goal, while Filipe Martins has left the Nghệ An team.

This means that, throughout 540 minutes of play, only two SLNA players knew how to score: Phan Văn Đức and Bruno Henrique. This is truly a worrying sign for the SLNA coaching staff at this time.

SLNA's foreign strikers lack consistent form. Photo: Duc Anh

Specifically, in their opening match against Binh Dinh, SLNA, despite playing with ten men, still managed 9 shots, 4 on target, but only scored one goal from a penalty. In the second round against HAGL, SLNA continued to play with a man down, managing 6 shots, 4 on target, and scoring one goal. In the third round against Saigon FC, statistics show that the Nghe An team only had 1 out of 6 shots on target. That was Bruno Henrique's sole shot.

Round 4,SLNA won 1-0 against Than Quang Ninh.In Round 1, the number of shots reached 13, but only 5 were on target, resulting in 1 goal. In Round 5, the quality of the attacks was reflected in 5 out of 9 accurate shots, resulting in 2 goals. And when facing Viettel in Round 6 at home, Phan Van Duc and his teammates only managed 6 shots, 2 on target, and failed to score any goals.

Thus, halfway through the first half of the V.League 2021 season, SLNA has launched a total of 49 shots. And the number of goals scored is 5. The success rate is only 10%. This efficiency is even worse than in the 2020 season.

SLNA lacks creative midfielders. Photo: Duc Anh

Looking at HAGL under coach Kiatisuk, the team from Pleiku leads the league not only because of its solid defense (3 goals conceded, 0.5 goals per game) but also because they have scored 10 goals, an efficiency of 1.6 goals per game. This goal-scoring record is on par with Hanoi FC and Nam Dinh FC.

In 2020, SLNA still had another striker, Ho Tuan Tai, playing on the wing, opposite Phan Van Duc. This year, the regularly chosen player, Tran Dinh Tien, seems to be showing signs of stagnation. The quality of his crosses, runs into the penalty area, and shots on goal is not enough to make people forget Ho Tuan Tai.

Meanwhile, Peter Samuel is not the ideal center forward to shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals; he only possesses physical strength, an enthusiastic playing style, and the ability to create space for his teammates. The most anticipated foreign player is...Bruno HenriqueLast season he scored 10 goals for HL Ha Tinh, but now he has failed to score in 3 out of 4 matches he has played in.

SLNA's goal drought stems not only from the quality of their foreign strikers but also from the quality of their central midfield. The central midfielders and wingers haven't been able to create effective free kicks that provide good scoring opportunities for the strikers. At this point, SLNA no longer has the opportunity to strengthen their squad, and difficulties still lie ahead for the team from Nghe An province.

Identifying SLNA's opponent, Nam Dinh, in Round 7 of the V.League 2021.

(Baonghean.vn) - After their first home defeat in the V.League 2021 against Viettel, SLNA will face a challenging away match against Nam Dinh FC in Round 7. In past encounters, this has always been a difficult place for the Nghe An team to visit.