Defender Nguyen Sy Nam: "Multi-talented substitute" at SLNA

At the end of the 2018 season, not many people believed that Nguyen Sy Nam would continue to contribute to the Nghe An team. Because in the last 2 seasons playing for SLNA, the Anh Son player was rarely used by SLNA's coaching staff.

According to statistics: in V.League 2018, Nguyen Sy Nam only played 3 times. This is a very disappointing result for the 26-year-old defender.

The reason why the former player of Ho Chi Minh City Club often has to "wear out his pants" on the bench is because he cannot compete with national team player Tran Dinh Hoang in the right-back position.

Objectively speaking, the decision of coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his colleagues is completely reasonable. Compared to Tran Dinh Hoang, Nguyen Sy Nam is not as highly regarded, at least in terms of experience.

Nguyen Sy Nam is always active in training sessions. Photo: Archive

Therefore, the news that the English player Son signed a new contract with SLNA surprised many people. Instead of looking for opportunities at other teams (where he could play more), Nguyen Sy Nam decided to stick with Vinh Stadium to prove himself. Nguyen Sy Nam's action of showing his "loyalty" to SLNA received a lot of sympathy from Nghe An football fans.

However, in terms of expertise, it is different. To be able to put on his shoes and play on the field, the only way is for Nguyen Sy Nam to make more efforts. The defender himself is also aware of that, so he has been practicing non-stop for a while now. Nguyen Sy Nam's desire and progress have partly won the trust of the SLNA coaching staff.

In the last 2 matches against Than Quang Ninh and B.Binh Duong, Nguyen Sy Nam was sent onto the field by coach Nguyen Duc Thang (playing the full 90 minutes in the match against B.Binh Duong). It is worth mentioning that the position that the player wearing the number 22 shirt plays is not his forte as a right-back. Sometimes Nguyen Sy Nam plays as a left winger, sometimes he switches to play on the opposite wing.

Being able to play on the field is a joy for Nguyen Sy Nam. Photo: slnafc

With his strong physical foundation and aggressiveness, the 26-year-old defender actively participated in the attack and supported the home team's defense system very well. Nguyen Sy Nam should have had at least 1 goal, after quite good opportunities created by his teammates. Typically, the header went over the crossbar at close range from a pass from Vo Ngoc Toan, in the match against Than Quang Ninh at Cua Ong Stadium.

Although he has not left much of a special impression (due to playing in a position other than his forte), what Nguyen Sy Nam has done is still worth noting. The task of the English player now is to adapt to many positions on the field. Especially to improve his finishing. In the situation where SLNA is like a "miniature hospital", Nguyen Sy Nam is becoming a "multi-purpose substitute".