SLNA defense: From a fulcrum to a 'black spot'
(Baonghean.vn) - The 1-2 loss to Viettel was the 5th consecutive match that goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang had to pick the ball out of the net, after a series of shots from the opposing strikers.
Entering this season, the Vinh team had to say goodbye to a series of key players in the defense line, typically goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh, center back Memovic, right back Tran Dinh Hoang and the duo in front of the defense line Vo Ngoc Toan - Ho Khac Ngoc. With a "porous" defense, the task for new coach Ngo Quang Truong is extremely large.
After a period of "patching up", the results that the SLNA coaching staff received were extremely positive, with 2 matches without conceding a goal against Saigon FC (0-0 draw) and B.Binh Duong (1-0 win). Even when V.League 2020 returned, the Nghe An team still did unbelievable things. Despite losing another central defender, captain Hoang Van Khanh due to injury, SLNA still continued to extend its unbeaten streak, keeping a clean sheet for 5 matches.
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| The situation where defender Nguyen Sy Nam was passed by Viettel striker Bruno Cunha. Photo: Xuan Thuy |
It is true that nothing can be predicted in football. Just 5 days after the victory on the field of Hanoi FC (June 18 - June 23), SLNA's defense was "torn apart" by the strikers of Ho Chi Minh City FC. The 3 times goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang had to go into the net to pick up the ball did not fully reflect the collapse of the defense system that coach Ngo Quang Truong and his colleagues had worked hard to build. The goals of Pham Van Thanh, Nguyen Cong Phuong, and Amido Balde sounded an alarm about the insecurity of SLNA's defense.
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| Goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang's brilliance was not enough to keep his team's net clean. Photo: Xuan Thuy |
More than ever, the Nghe An team is looking forward to the "reappearance" of central defender and captain Hoang Van Khanh and national team player Pham Xuan Manh. With these two pieces, SLNA's defense system may be able to overcome its "fragile" state./.
