Motivation for the second half of the season

(Baonghean) - Up to six SLNA players were called up to serve at the 28th SEA Games. Three of them were with the Vietnam U23 team in Singapore, where they competed and won the bronze medal in men's football. The remaining players, Hoang Thinh, Phuc Tinh, and Tuan Tai, although not present in Singapore, were unable to return to normal training with their SLNA teammates due to serious injuries. Thus, during the V.League break, the Nghe An team lost more than half of its main squad, significantly impacting their training.

For nearly a month, due to a shortage of personnel, coach Ngo Quang Truong instructed his players to train cautiously, mainly focusing on physical training exercises. Only after the SEA Games 28 concluded and the squad was essentially full did coach Quang Truong fully utilize the time for the entire team to train. At this time, in addition to the three players Manh Hung, Ngoc Hai, and Phi Son returning unharmed, Hoang Thinh, after undergoing injury checks in Hanoi, also resumed training yesterday. Players Phuc Tinh and Tuan Tai have recovered and are ready for the next phase of the season.

SLNA's new foreign players.

Nguyen Manh's injury is still not fully healed, and the goalkeeper is currently training separately. However, the doctors of the Nghe An team say that between now and the V.League resumes, Manh will most likely recover and be able to play normally with his teammates.

During the V.League's temporary break, SLNA's management decided to terminate Abubakar's contract. The striker was dismissed for failing to meet professional standards. In return, SLNA contacted and secured two new contracts with foreign players. Specifically, the Nghe An team signed Haruna from Nigeria and Baba Salia from Ivory Coast. These are two promising players who have previously played for top clubs in Thailand and Nigeria. This is a necessary reinforcement for the second half of the 2015 V.League season, as in the previous rounds, our strikers, both domestic and foreign, have failed to impress.

With a full squad available, coach Ngo Quang Truong immediately instructed the players to train continuously. Over the past few days, SLNA players have been training twice a day, including Saturdays and Sundays. The coaching staff explained that they needed to increase the intensity of training because, due to the absence of many players, they could only train at a moderate pace. Now, with the V.League preparing to resume, SLNA must make the most of their time to make a final push.

According to the schedule, SLNA will play their first match after the break against Dak Lak at Vinh Stadium on June 20th. This is a match in the National Cup. Following that, on June 28th, Coach Ngo Quang Truong's team will travel to Cam Pha to face Than Quang Ninh. This is the final match of the first half of the 2015 V.League season. Exactly one week later, the second half of the 2015 V.League season will begin, and the Nghe An team will again travel to Go Dau Stadium to face the defending champions, B.Binh Duong.

Looking at the fixture list, it's easy to see that SLNA faces many disadvantages. The coaching staff of the Nghe An team has certainly anticipated this, so from now on, they must train actively to prepare for those away matches, which are predicted to be full of "storms".

Difficulties lie ahead, but with the recruitment of two quality foreign players and many key players recovering from injury, SLNA has a huge boost in motivation. Since the beginning of the season, whenever things get tough, Ngo Quang Truong's players have maximized their potential, and this time, fans in Nghe An province hope the same will happen.

Text and photos:VINH LIEM