How to get back the Song Lam quality on the team?

Even if we expand the list of players with SLNA roots, including Ngoc Hai and Trong Hoang as prominent factors, the SLNA "brand" will further prove its solid value in Vietnamese football.

However, looking at it objectively and more broadly, currently, "brand"SLNAon the national team and the real strength of the team in V. League is facing a big question mark. That is the obvious decline, the worrying step back of SLNA while other teams are advancing like a storm and dominating like HAGL, Hanoi or Viettel. Not to mention that there are currently many excellent individuals in the remaining teams of V. League who are also "more than capable" of taking the place of SLNA players who seem to be natural when joining the national team.

SLNA players are actively preparing for the goal of staying in the V.League 2021. Photo: Duc Anh

Just looking back at the preparation and competition process of the 3 recent matches of the Vietnam National Team in the 2nd qualifying round with the participation of SLNA players is enough to have a preliminary but accurate view.

Of the 3 players called up for the training camp that time, Xuan Manh, despite having a brilliant resume from the U23 Vietnam team in Changzhou, was not selected in the end, and was even "out" of the call-up for the third round. Van Hoang was a little luckier, being called up for the final list and this time he was called up again, but he will have very little chance of being a starter, as has always been the case.

Van Duc was more favored than the two players mentioned above, and was given more playing time, but it cannot be said to be a success, if not a clear failure. This time, no one is sure that Van Duc will be able to "stay" in the final list, if he does not try to excel on the training ground and prove to Mr. Park Hang-seo that he is truly returning to what he is used to on the left wing of the Vietnam National Team.

Before returning to training, Phan Van Duc renewed his contract with SLNA Club. He will be with his hometown team in a 3-year contract until 2024. Photo: Duc Anh

To see, the right-back position that Xuan Manh took on quite well in Thuong Chau, now over time in the hands of Mr. Park Hang-seo, there are HAGL players like Van Thanh or his senior Trong Hoang, even the young player of T. Binh Dinh, Tan Tai, brings more hope. Not to mention when Van Hau returns to supplement the defense, everything for Xuan Manh will become even more distant. Surely Xuan Manh is clearly aware of that and will do everything possible, aiming to "return to his familiar home" in the not too distant future.

Similarly, when Van Duc cannot perform his inherent role, the Vietnamese national team's midfield still has many feasible options and sometimes the fighting power is higher and more effective. Currently, the Vietnamese national team's attacking midfielders tend to attack more, rush forward more, if having to choose between Van Duc and Quang Hai or Van Toan, the losing side will belong to Van Duc. While the Vietnamese national team needs a factor like Hung Dung, especially at this time, Minh Vuong or Duc Huy are trusted even more, because that is not Van Duc's forte even though he participates in defense quite well. That is the fierce competition, just a moment of loss of concentration, loss of form, "pampering" or "indulging" will become meaningless.

After nearly 4 months of focusing on the National Team to compete in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and being quarantined, today player Phan Van Duc joined the SLNA Club. Photo: Duc Anh

With this gathering of U23 Vietnam, Van Viet seems to have a greater chance than Sy Hoang, although the final cutoff is that both were selected thanks to their ability to be called up to the national team many times and compete in the V. League. But everything depends on the upcoming training process. Like their seniors, Van Viet and Sy Hoang will have to "compete" with many good players from other teams on every centimeter of grass, anytime, anywhere. Every day, Van Duc and Xuan Manh overcame countless difficulties and did very well. Now Van Viet and Sy Hoang are in new conditions, easier to "breathe", how can they not be determined to rise up?

To be exact, all the decline of SLNA and the national players in SLNA originated from the time before “restructuring”. SLNA is being reorganized in a more professional and ambitious way, there is no reason why the players who have been called up to the national team should not have a new mindset and a new will when stepping onto every field? At this time, not being as successful as expected is the strange thing!

Therefore, what to do to highlight the “SLNA” quality on the team is a question that must be answered by the team itself, by the players. Having the “powder” to make the paste is where the “powder” lies, whether it is strong or weak is also where the “powder” lies./.