Head coach of Song Lam Nghe An: 'The relegation battle will only be decided in the final round'

Being a guest at Hang Day Stadium is always a difficult challenge for any team, especially in the context ofLam River Nghe Anare struggling at the bottom of the table. However, coach Phan Nhu Thuat's students brought a performance that was not inferior to the home team The Cong Viettel.

For most of the match, the Nghe An team showed determination and passion, even creating more dangerous opportunities than the home team at times. However, the lack of courage and experience in key moments prevented SLNA from retaining even 1 point.

The goal conceded at the end of the second half was a regrettable ending and dealt a heavy blow to the Nghe An team's efforts to escape the relegation zone in the final stages of the season.

After the match, coach Phan Nhu Thuat could not hide his regret but remained objective when evaluating his team's performance.

He shared: “Not being able to practice at Hang Day Stadium before the match had some impact on Song Lam Nghe An. However, that was not the main factor that caused our team to lose this match.”

The captain of the Nghe An team also revealed that the defense suffered a great loss when experienced center back Hoang Van Khanh could not play. Instead, two young center backs were given the opportunity and partly fulfilled their assigned tasks.

“Before the match, Hoang Van Khanh suffered a minor injury so he could not play in round 20. But I was satisfied with the way the two young central defenders played, they fulfilled their roles quite well,” said coach Phan Nhu Thuat.

This defeat makes SLNA’s situation even more difficult. With the loss at Hang Day Stadium, the Nghe An team is still stuck in the dangerous zone on the rankings. However, with 6 rounds left, everything is still ahead.

"The relegation race is still long, with 6 more rounds, so it is impossible to predict what will happen to Song Lam Nghe An. I think this year's relegation battle will have to wait until the last matches to decide," said coach Phan Nhu Thuat, as a way to fuel the spirit of his students and fans of Nghe An.

Indeed, with fierce competition at the bottom of the V-League 2024/25, even the smallest mistake can cost a team dearly. Song Lam Nghe An needs more concentration, reasonable tactics and especially courage at decisive moments.

This year's relegation battle is heating up with each round, and as coach Phan Nhu Thuat said, the end will probably only come when the final whistle of the last round sounds.