Looking back at Song Lam Nghe An's victory over Ho Chi Minh City Club

The "old" formula gives maximum efficiency

Coach Phan Nhu ThuatThere were not many changes compared to the victory against Hanoi Club in round 13 of phase 1. It was still the familiar 5-3-2 formation with pillars such as Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Trong Hoang, Pham Xuan Manh and Olaha. There were only 2 changes: defender Vuong Van Huy replaced Mai Sy Hoang on the left wing and young striker Ngo Van Luong replaced foreign player Soladio in attack.

However, these substitutions helped the Nghe An team operate smoothly, creating excitement in the stands. However, the attacking players of Song Lam Nghe An still lacked the precision in the final situations to be able to take the lead over their opponents in the first half.

In the second half, coach Phan Nhu Thuat once again sent two tactical players, Dinh Xuan Tien and Tran Manh Quynh, to replace Dang Van Lam and Tran Dinh Tien. And this duo made a difference when each contributed 1 goal to help the Nghe An team win with a score of 2-0. With this victory, Song Lam Nghe An has had 4 consecutive unbeaten matches under coach Phan Nhu Thuat (3 wins, 1 draw). This is the best achievement of the Nghe An team this season.

Song Lam Nghe An officially stays in the league

The 2-0 victory over Ho Chi Minh City Club helped Song Lam Nghe An have 19 points and continue to lead Group B in the second phase of V.League. The Nghe An team has widened the gap to 11 points compared to the two teams at the bottom of the table, Becamex Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City Club.

With only 4 rounds left in phase 2 and the 2 bottom teams still having to face each other, Song Lam Nghe An officially stays in V.League 2023. This will be a good opportunity for coach Phan Nhu Thuat to continue to experiment to perfect the squad, while giving opportunities for young players to compete and gain experience for the rest of the season.

Ho Chi Minh City Club in danger

The defeat against Song Lam Nghe An pushedHo Chi Minh City Clubdropped to the bottom of the V.League rankings after the first round of phase 2 ended. Not only that, coach Vu Tien Thanh's team also suffered losses when Victor Mansaray and Le Cao Hoai An had to leave the field early due to injury.

Besides, another worrying point of the team from the City named after Uncle Ho is the fighting spirit. Coach Vu Tien Thanh's students played rather weakly and did not have any significant resistance to the pressure of the home team.

The only bright spot on the away team's side was the relatively good performance of Vietnamese-American goalkeeper Patrick Le Giang. However, he alone could not help Ho Chi Minh City Club get 1 point away from Vinh Stadium. And if they continue to play weakly like this, coach Vu Tien Thanh's team will most likely be relegated after the end of V.League 2023.

Ngo Van Luong's first time

The absence of foreign player Soladio created conditions for young striker Ngo Van Luong of Song Lam Nghe An Club to play in the starting lineup for the first time in V.League. The striker born in 2001 did not disappoint the coaching staff when he played quite well in this match. Ngo Van Luong's speed and smart running ability made the Ho Chi Minh City Club's defense have a hard day's work. And it was this 22-year-old striker who had the assist for Dinh Xuan Tien to head the ball to open the score.

With what he showed in this match, it is very likely that in the next rounds, Ngo Van Luong will be promoted by the coaching staff.Nghe An football teamgiven more opportunities to play. Hopefully, this young striker will take advantage of the opportunities to make breakthroughs in the future./.