Nguyen Sy Nam - 'Philipp Lahm of Nghe An'

(Baonghean.vn) - SLNA had a convincing victory over HAGL in round 10 of V. League 2017. One of the players who played excellently and left the most impression was right-back Nguyen Sy Nam.

Before the match between SLNA and HAGL took place, most experts and fans of Nghe An felt uneasy about the home team’s defense. For the past 9 consecutive rounds, goalkeeper Nguyen Manh has not kept a clean sheet in any match.

Besides, the gossips surrounding the team have had a significant impact on the players’ psychology. Obviously, the ball has not rolled yet but Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates are at a greater disadvantage than their colleagues from the Central Highlands.

To prepare for the away match at Vinh Stadium, Coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan and his colleagues must have watched and rewatched the video of the match between Saigon FC and SLNA that took place a week ago. In the defeat of the Nghe team at Thong Nhat Stadium, the right-back position - where player Nguyen Sy Nam was stationed - was considered a weak link in the defense system. Meanwhile, HAGL's left wing was extremely strong with the presence of the duo Nguyen Van Thanh - Nguyen Phong Hong Duy, enough to make any opponent wary and afraid.

Nguyen Sy Nam (number 22, far left) in a ball fight with HAGL players. Photo: Internet.

Not contrary to predictions, as soon as the opening whistle blew, HAGL players clearly showed their intention to hang on the right wing and put all their efforts into digging deep into Nguyen Sy Nam's position. Nguyen Van Thanh and Nguyen Phong Hong Duy took turns pressing towards the SLNA field on the left side in the direction of the away team's attack. But all the tricks and efforts of the mountain town team could not be effective because of the solidity, perseverance and alertness of the defender born in 1993. After holding the ball to break through, HAGL's "drills" switched to 1-2 coordination, then launched lucky wing flips... All wrapped up in hopelessness!

Realizing that the duo Nguyen Van Thanh - Nguyen Phong Hong Duy were having too much trouble with the resistance of player number 22 Nguyen Sy Nam, coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan reminded the main striker Nguyen Cong Phuong to move to the left wing more, joining Nguyen Van Thanh - Nguyen Phong Hong Duy to form an attacking triangle, hoping to destroy the wall of Nguyen Sy Nam - Que Ngoc Hai. In an afternoon of sublime play, Nguyen Sy Nam completed the assigned task very excellently. From dribbling the ball, sticking to the opponent player, choosing the position... the defender from Anh Son performed all with high efficiency.

Just look at the moments of losing the ball, the moments of letting the ball drift out of bounds, the frustrated head shakes of Nguyen Phong Hong Duy, Nguyen Van Thanh, Nguyen Cong Phuong, it is enough to understand how SLNA's right-back played in the match against HAGL. Of course, for Nguyen Sy Nam to complete his task excellently, it is impossible not to mention the support of his teammates playing alongside him such as Que Ngoc Hai, Tran Phi Son, Ho Khac Ngoc... and especially the effective tactics of SLNA's coaching staff.

Player Nguyen Sy Nam (22) played a very good role in the match between SLNA - HAGL. Photo archive.

Not only playing a good defensive role, Nguyen Sy Nam also left a clear impression in his ability to participate in the attack. Whenever there was an opportunity, the player born in 1993 immediately moved up to coordinate with Tran Phi Son. Facing HAGL players with excellent individual techniques, Nguyen Sy Nam still confidently held the ball, dribbling the ball up the sideline like a winger. Thanks to the frequent appearance of his teammate wearing the number 22 shirt, Tran Phi Son had more space because the HAGL defenders had to disperse their forces to mark him.

In particular, in the final minutes of the first half, Nguyen Sy Nam made a "long-range cannon shot" that left goalkeeper Pham Van Tien helpless, unfortunately there was still a HAGL defender standing in the goal and promptly cleared the ball right on the goal line. Although that situation did not turn into a goal, Nguyen Sy Nam received a resounding applause from all the stands of Vinh Stadium.

Leaving behind the disappointing performance in the match against Saigon FC, defender Nguyen Sy Nam made up for his mistakes with all his efforts and was duly rewarded with a 2-0 victory for his team against HAGL. Witnessing the excellent performance of Nguyen Sy Nam, SLNA's coaching staff and Nghe An fans will be less worried as defender Tran Dinh Hoang's recovery from injury is progressing quite slowly. The right-back position of SLNA is no longer a weak point.

When the match ended, on the way back to the team's headquarters, Nguyen Sy Nam continuously received congratulations from relatives and fans. Unable to hide his joy, the 24-year-old defender shared: "I am very happy because the home team won. Thank you to the Nghe fans for always being with the team even in difficult times. As a player, a son of Nghe, I feel very proud to wear the yellow shirt of my hometown team."

Congratulations to coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team for successfully overcoming difficulties! Congratulations to right-back Nguyen Sy Nam for an excellent match - let's call him "Philipp Lahm of Nghe An"./.

Thanh Hung