Looking back at the matches of U19 Song Lam Nghe An at the National U19 tournament

Long Vu played impressively on the right wing of U19 Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Chung Le

Thoselimitations that need to be overcome

After 3 matches in Group C, the 2023 National U19 Finals, U19 Song Lam Nghe An won 1 match and drew 2 matches. This achievement was enough for coach Nguyen Van Vinh's team to avoid U19 Hanoi in the quarterfinals and more importantly, the spirit of Nghe An's strikers was always kept in a balanced state.

Looking back at the group stage, in the opening match, U19 Song Lam Nghe An had to face U19 Thanh Hoa. With the strategic talent of foreign coach Svetislav, the Thanh team demonstrated a unique and pragmatic style of play. Coach Nguyen Van Vinh's team was quickly doused with cold water in the middle of the first half.

The goal clearly revealed the passivity in the defensive organization of the Nghe An players. None of the 3 defenders of U19 Song Lam Nghe An proactively approached Ngoc My, allowing the midfielder to receive the ball in an open position and then make a powerful kick, forcing Huu Hau to push the ball away. In the next situation, none of the Nghe An players rushed in to support, allowing Ha Minh Duc to easily cushion the ball in front of the empty goal.

It can be seen that U19 Thanh Hoa is not a team with a very strong attack, but U19 Song Lam Nghe An has revealed errors in the way they organize their defense, especially lacking initiative in responding to the following situations.

Quang Vinh is an important link in the playing style built by coach Nguyen Van Vinh. Photo: Chung Le

The second goal conceded by U19 Song Lam Nghe An in the match against U19 Binh Duong also came from a flaw in the ability to tightly mark the opponent's striker. Tran Tien Dat sneaked behind alone, then comfortably headed the ball without being marked by the U19 Song Lam Nghe An center backs.

In the next rounds, U19 Song Lam Nghe An will have to face stronger teams such as U19 Binh Phuoc or U19 Ha Noi. These teams all possess highly qualified players and they will know how to exploit the above weaknesses. Therefore, the gaps in the defense of coach Nguyen Van Vinh's students need to be improved soon, if they do not want to receive "cold water" like in previous matches.

ThosePositive signals from U19 Song Lam Nghe An

If we do not consider the final match in Group C between U19 Song Lam Nghe An and U19 Dong Thap, because in that match both teams played cautiously, calculating to achieve their own goals. Therefore, there will not be much data to be able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of U19 Song Lam Nghe An in this final match.

However, if looking at the first two matches, it can be seen that the playing style of U19 Song Lam Nghe An has many bright spots to look forward to. The way coach Nguyen Van Vinh's students develop the ball always follows a pre-established philosophy. In addition to prioritizing short, low-touch ball rotations, there are also some highly unpredictable passes. This is clearly seen in the equalizer of U19 Song Lam Nghe An against U19 Thanh Hoa. The long pass from the U19 Song Lam Nghe An defender went beyond the control of the U19 Thanh Hoa midfielder, opening up an opportunity for Quoc Hoa to face the opponent's goalkeeper and it was not difficult for this striker to bring the match back to the starting line.

Truong Van Tuyen always brings bold breakthroughs on the left wing. Photo: Chung Le

In addition, the way of penetrating the opponent's penalty area from both wings is also one of the highlights that U19 Song Lam Nghe An has left. Truong Van Tuyen, Quang Luc or Long Vu are always ready to come up with highly innovative solutions to approach the opponent's goal from both wings.

Along with that, in the vertical system, U19 Song Lam Nghe An has always shown stability with key players such as Van Bac, Quang Vinh, Van Quy... The ability to control the ball, keep the rhythm of the match and limit pressure on the defense line are the advantages that these players have left.

In particular, Quang Vinh has shown his role as the conductor of the attack of Song Lam Nghe An. He not only designs the play for the Nghe team, but also brings about moves that can change the situation of the match. The goal that sealed the 2-1 score in the match against Binh Duong and then being voted the best player of the match has shown the quality of this player.

The above highlights show that U19 Song Lam Nghe An has enough strength to equal the record of winning the National U19 Championship with U19 Hanoi. Of course, before thinking about that, in the short time before the match with Binh Phuoc on April 30, U19 Song Lam Nghe An still needs to improve the above-mentioned limitations and continue to promote the existing strengths./.