Long An - SLNA: Trading a goal for a traditional Vietnamese rice cake!

(Baonghean.vn) - Having successfully avoided relegation by defeating First Division team Viettel with a goal in extra time on the evening of September 23, 2016 at Chi Lang Stadium, Mr. Vo Thanh Nhiem - General Director of Long An Football Joint Stock Company - still affirmed: "This year, the team aims for a mid-table finish, and if given the opportunity, we will not hesitate to take higher positions." Therefore, SLNA is an opponent that the home team needs to focus on before the Lunar New Year break.

The homeowner relies on veterans.

Despite not having a lot of money, Long An managed to bring in some new faces after the play-offs. These include former Vietnam U23 national team player Nguyen Qui Suu, Hoang Danh Ngoc, Nguyen Dinh Hiep, former Vietnam U19 national team player Nguyen Nam Anh, Hai Phong defender Nguyen Van Nam, and veteran goalkeeper Nguyen Minh Nhut. Dinh Hiep, in particular, was a striker from the SLNA youth academy before moving to Hai Phong and joining coach Ngo Quang Sang's team.

Long An's foreign duo, Bolaji Oseni and Ashkanov Apollon, threaten SLNA's defense. Photo: Internet.

Last year, Long An used five foreign players, truly "changing foreign players like changing clothes." Learning from that experience, this year they have recruited two higher-quality foreign players: Oseni and Apollon. Bolaji Oseni previously played for Kienlongbank Kien Giang, XSKT Can Tho, B. Binh Duong, and spent half of the 2014 season as a starter for Long An. As for the new American striker Ashkanov Apollon, after three matches, he is similar to Olaha Michael of SLNA, a player who "attacks but doesn't score."

Clearly, coach Ngo Quang Sang still has to rely on key players like Huynh Quang Thanh, Pham Hoang Lam, Nguyen Tai Loc, and Huynh Tan Tai. The fact that Tai Em had considered retirement but ultimately had to play for another season shows that Long An's squad isn't exactly overflowing with players. Nevertheless, Long An has won its first three matches of the season, with a spectacular comeback victory against Can Tho, a feat considered remarkable by coach Ngo Quang Sang's team.

It's not hard to guess that the Long An coaching staff will continue to use Bolaji Oseni and Ashkanov Apollon to overwhelm the defense, leaving gaps for the second line of attack to approach Nguyen Manh's goal. This is a style of play that the Long An coaching staff believes the Nghe An team is very wary of, because SLNA's defense is composed entirely of domestic players.

The art of spiritual victory

Never before have the team and the fans of Nghe An province been seen standing so close together. While SLNA FC displayed banners in the stands saying "Thank you for standing by us," the Nghe An Supporters' Association also affirmed their unwavering loyalty, stating, "Friends in times of difficulty are true friends." Thanh Tung, in charge of the support activities of the Nghe An Supporters' Association in the South, said: "Because the team played on the 25th of Tet (Lunar New Year), most of the students had already gone home, but we still managed to mobilize over 2,000 people to come to the stadium and organize a parade before the match."

The Nghe An fan club has always affirmed its unwavering loyalty to SLNA. Photo: Internet.

In fact, Long An (formerly Gach DTLA) is a "favorite" opponent for the Nghe An team, whether playing at home or away. Even in the 2013 V-League season, after a five-match winless streak, SLNA still thrashed them 8-0 at Vinh Stadium, with Cong Vinh scoring four goals. Long An's playing style has always lacked the "uniqueness" of a strong opponent, so it hasn't really posed a challenge to SLNA, whose forte is defensive counter-attacking.

However, this time, the visiting team faced difficulties due to injuries to several defensive players such as Dinh Hoang, Manh Hung, Ngoc Duc, etc., and the young players were experiencing fitness issues, often running out of steam towards the end of the match. SLNA's left flank was frequently exploited; teams using two foreign players often sent high crosses from this wing into the 16.5-meter area, hoping for mistakes from the defense.

Frankly, SLNA didn't play badly in the last two matches, but they lacked the necessary confidence, from the coaching staff to the defense on the field. More than ever, they need a win to have peace of mind before going home for Tet (Lunar New Year), which is why the coaching staff and young players like Van Khanh and Sy Nam were joking about "trading goals for sticky rice cakes." In truth, although not yet in top form, both Phi Son and The Cuong did a good job of disrupting the opponent's defense, and Khac Ngoc is gradually playing with more confidence.

The large crowd in attendance, the opponent's simple style of play, and the fact that SLNA has never lost there… these are favorable conditions for the SLNA coaching staff to devise a plan to secure their first three points!

AT