Coach Phan Nhu Thuat takes responsibility after Song Lam Nghe An's unfortunate draw against Hong Linh Ha Tinh

Early advantage but not exploited

Before the derby, SLNA faced a big disadvantage when central defender Hoang Van Khanh was injured, forcing the defense to put their trust in the duo Julian Garcia - Le Van Thanh. However, the home team Vinh still entered the match confidently and opened the score in the 7th minute, thanks to central defender Garcia after a tricky header.

The situation became more favorable for SLNA when HLHT's Huynh Tuan Tai received a direct red card after a foul on Van Huy. Despite having one more player for nearly 80 minutes, the home team created too few opportunities and played a weaker game.

In the beginning of the second half, HLHT, despite playing with one less player, still pressed hard to get the equalizer. And 1-1 was also the final result in the Nghe derby.

Coach Phan Nhu Thuatt take responsibilitym

After the match, head coach Phan Nhu Thuat admitted that the draw was reasonable, but could not hide his regret: "The draw was probably reasonable for both teams. However, as head coach, I have to take responsibility when the team could not maintain the advantage. I reminded and directed the players during the match, but sometimes they got caught up in the rhythm and could not maintain their concentration. After the opening goal, we lost control and our spirit was somewhat down. Although we tried to adjust in the second half, the team still could not regain the desired rhythm."

Talking about the players' physical strength, Mr. Thuat frankly said: "The recent break has made it difficult for us to maintain stability. Many teams have had the chance to compete, but SLNA lacks such matches. This is one of the reasons why the players have not had the necessary energy and 'catch the rhythm'. I take responsibility for this problem."

In particular, SLNA coach paid attention to young faces like Viktor Le - the author of the equalizer for HLHT: "Viktor Le is a player with potential and a desire to show off. In this match, he played very well."

After 4 rounds, SLNA only has 4 points (1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses), an achievement that has not met the expectations of fans. Meanwhile, HLHT still maintains its excitement with 7 points, continuing to be present in the group on the rankings.

The draw at Vinh Stadium once again showed the rare balance between SLNA and HLHT. But for SLNA, losing the victory while having more players will certainly leave many regrets. Coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his students will have a lot of work to do if they do not want to fall into the same difficult situation as last season.