Hong Linh Ha Tinh vs HAGL: 'Know yourself, know your opponent'

Coach Minh Duc is considered one of the most unconventional coaches.V.LeagueFrom his way of speaking, arranging the formation, and directing on the field, his choice of a 3-4-3 formation to face Kiatisak's HAGL team, who played with a 3-3-2-2 tactical formation, surprised even the home fans.

Triple-decker bus

If you want to earn 1 point, then...Coach Minh DucThey revealed their intention to play with a low defensive line, tightly marking HAGL's key players in a man-to-man style, aiming to deny the visiting players space to play the ball.

The team, whose initial goal for the season was to finish in the top 5, showed more restraint, knowing how to "make do with what they have" rather than launching a relentless attack on their opponent. This was especially true when facing a formidable opponent.HAGLTheir attack, featuring many national team players such as Cong Phuong, Van Toan, Xuan Truong, Tuan Anh, and Van Thanh, defeated them in both legs of last season's matches with a 4-0 victory.

Whenever Xuan Truong (HAGL) gets the ball, he is always surrounded by HLHT players. Photo: VPD

At the Ha Tinh stadium, spectators were surprised to see striker Chevaughn Walsh, a former HAGL player, being unexpectedly deployed. Of the forwards – Chevaughn, Akinade, and Pham Tuan Hai – Walsh was instructed to play the deepest role, specifically to mark "maestro" Xuan Truong and disrupt the opponent's play. Only coach Minh Duc would employ such a tactic in a match where they absolutely did not want to suffer another defeat.

Next, there's Nhat Minh, a "genuine" central midfielder who has long played the defensive midfield position in the 4-1-4-1 formation.Hong Linh, Ha TinhHe was tasked with marking Tuan Anh, Kiatisak's remaining playmaker. Interestingly, Phi Son frequently moved inwards to prevent Cong Phuong, his former teammate at TP.HCM, from having much space to control the ball. This tactic was seen as primarily aimed at disrupting the opponent's play rather than playing the ball itself, and that's exactly what happened on the field.

With the strategy of "giving up possession, not the ball," the home team's players dropped deep, only contesting for the ball before the opponent made decisive passes, so it was no surprise that HAGL held 60% possession. However, with the opposing team constantly having 9-10 players in their own half, creating a "three-tiered bus" in front of goalkeeper Quang Tuan's goal, HAGL's strikers became disheartened.

Achieved the target of 1 point.

This is a match where the home team, Hong Linh Ha Tinh, wants to "defend to the death" in the hope of earning a point.Coach KiatisakTaking advantage of the opportunity to check his players' fitness, he didn't make any substitutions throughout the 90 minutes on the field. When Brandao and Van Toan were tightly marked in front of goal, Van Thanh and Hong Duy were instructed to increase their long-range shots, instead of bringing on Minh Vuong and Viet Hung as usual.

Striker Cong Phuong remained goalless in the match against Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Photo: VPF

For many fans in Ha Tinh, coach Minh Duc's decision to shift the target from top 5 to top 12 will make it easier for his players. It's true that despite significant reinforcements, the skill level of Hong Linh players still lags far behind the top teams.

The match ended with a 0-0 draw.

With this result, Hong Linh Ha Tinh earned their first point after 4 rounds. HAGL, meanwhile, only has 7 points, missing the opportunity to take the top spot from SHB Da Nang.