V.League 2018 schedule: SLNA “breathes easy”

Due to being busy competing in the AFC Cup 2018, both FLC Thanh Hoa and SLNA do not have to compete in the first round of V-League 2018 (SLNA - Ho Chi Minh City and FLC Thanh Hoa - S.Khanh Hoa). Invisibly, SLNA will have the advantage of having the first 2 matches of the season played at Vinh Stadium, a huge advantage for the Nghe An team.

Advantages

According to the announced schedule, in the first leg, SLNA will have 6 home matches against S.Khanh Hoa, Than Quang Ninh, B.Binh Duong, Hanoi and Hai Phong. The 7 away matches will be against Ho Chi Minh City (to be played later), FLC Thanh Hoa, Quang Nam, HAGL, SHB.Da Nang and Saigon.

Because the away match with Ho Chi Minh City was postponed, SLNA was the only team to play two home matches at the beginning of the season against teams considered to be of equal strength, S.Khanh Hoa and Than Quang Ninh. For a long time, SLNA was considered a "diesel engine" team whose warm-up often took a few rounds.

Huy Hoang is an important addition to the SLNA coaching staff. Photo: Document

This year, due to the AFC Cup 2018, Ngoc Hai and his teammates have had 3 warm-up matches before the official season begins, a significant advantage. If they can get 6 points after 2 home matches, the Nghe An team will have the necessary confidence for a season that is said to be more intense.

It was not until round 4 that SLNA encountered difficulties when facing the host FLC Thanh Hoa, the number 1 candidate for the championship this season. Then, it was not until round 9, meeting HAGL at Plei-ku Stadium and then returning to Vinh Stadium to face Hanoi FC, that coach Duc Thang really faced a challenge.

These are also two teams with great ambitions to compete for medals. Hanoi FC are currently “miniature national teams” with the names Quang Hai, Dinh Trong, Thanh Luong, Van Quyet. Meanwhile, HAGL, with the return of Xuan Truong and Tuan Anh and a squad of young players who are playing better and better, the Nghe An team is not as easy to bully as before.

The final difficulty is the confrontation with the Red Flamboyant City team at Vinh Stadium. This is a team that is the nemesis of the Nghe An team, with an unpleasant playing style, foreign players who play aggressively, and Quoc Trung and Dinh Bao, who are former SLNA players, understand the inside story and playing style of coach Duc Thang and his team.

"Dark horse" of Nghe An

Until now, when SLNA has not finalized the squad, experts cannot make an accurate assessment of the level of the team with many achievements in V-League. In terms of personnel, SLNA does not have massive recruitment campaigns like Ho Chi Minh City, FLC Thanh Hoa also does not have many bright faces like Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem. SLNA's foreign players are still unknown and it seems difficult to have "expensive" personnel.

In the pre-season, SLNA lost 1 (Super Cup match with Quang Nam), won 2, including 2 wins against Tampines Rovers Club (Singapore) and Johor Darul Ta'zim (Malaysia). Khac Ngoc is emerging thanks to his stable and aggressive performance; Ngoc Khai and Van Khanh show solidity in defense. The two U23 Vietnam players Xuan Manh and Van Duc have shown some hope of maturity after returning from China.

Van Duc is expected to shoulder the task of scoring goals this season. Photo: Document

Fans of Nghe An are still paying much attention to the return of Tuan Tai in the striker position and goalkeeper Van Hung, who is assigned the position of goalkeeper for the first time. After Phi Son left, the worry about scoring goals is being placed on the shoulders of Phuc Tinh and Tuan Tai, the SLNA attack line has lacked the necessary sharpness in the last 3 matches.

Although SLNA has added goalkeeper Vu Hai from Hai Phong, Nghe An fans still want goalkeeper Van Hung to shine throughout the season. At 25 years old, this is the best opportunity for SLNA's number 2 goalkeeper.

It can be said that with the current force, SLNA deserves to be considered the "dark horse" of the season.