Coach Phan Thanh Hung blamed the fixture schedule after the loss to SLNA.

(Baonghean.vn) - Than Quang Ninh FC's head coach attributed several reasons to the unexpected 0-4 defeat against SLNA. At the same time, Mr. Phan Thanh Hung did not deny the efforts of his players.

From the start of the match, Than Quang Ninh did not push forward to attack, instead conceding control of the game and retreating to their own half. Throughout the 90 minutes of the match, the visiting team's players seemed to inexplicably slow down.

Coach Phan Thanh Hung did not blame the Than Quang Ninh players after their lackluster performance in Vinh.

During the press conference, when reporters questioned the morale of the Than Quang Ninh players today, coach Phan Thanh Hung immediately denied it, stating: “SLNA showed good spirit and physical condition today. Before facing SLNA, many Than Quang Ninh players had viral fevers, and in addition, the strenuous National Cup matches a few days ago, along with the packed schedule, significantly reduced our physical fitness. Playing a match every four days greatly affected our performance. Considering the overall situation of the match, our loss was justified.”

Meanwhile, on the SLNA side, coach Ngo Quang Truong expressed considerable satisfaction with Que Ngoc Hai's performance. The coach from Nghe An admitted that moving Que Ngoc Hai to play as a central midfielder helped SLNA gain a more solid defensive advantage.

Coach Ngo Quang Truong highly appreciates Que Ngoc Hai's role in the central midfield position.

Coach Ngo Quang Truong shared after the match: “As you can see, fielding Ngoc Hai in midfield helped make SLNA's game more solid. Ngoc Hai's effectiveness was also evident on the field, and I am satisfied with this match. Although we attacked well and scored many goals, SLNA doesn't always create so many opportunities like this, and the players need to learn to be more clinical in future matches. For the remainder of the V.League season, the SLNA coaching staff is determined to combine experienced and youthful players to give more opportunities to young players.”

With a resounding victory against Than Quang Ninh, coach Ngo Quang Truong seemed to have finally overcome a long-standing psychological hurdle. A spectacular match was enough to satisfy the fans of Nghe An province, however, it didn't help SLNA improve their position in the standings. After round 14 of V.League 2016, SLNA remains in 11th place with 18 points.

Trung Kien