Bitter disappointment in injury time!

(Baonghean.vn) - It seemed that the first three points were firmly in the hands of Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team after the second round, but a moment of carelessness cost SLNA dearly. Even more bitterly, the goalscorer for the visiting team was Que Ngoc Hai - currently the most reliable defensive wall for the Nghe An team...

After a 2-0 defeat against Thanh Hoa FC in their opening match, SLNA returned home under pressure to win against Can Tho in the second round of the 2017 V-League. Despite limited financial resources and the departure of several of their best players after the 2016 season, experts predicted this wouldn't be too difficult a task, considering their tradition, personnel, and home advantage.

The players from both teams couldn't hide their tension as they stepped onto the field after their defeats in the first round.

Players from both teams perform the flag-raising ceremony before the match.

Conversely, Can Tho FC is not much better off. The team from the Western region has almost no source of young players, so they have to buy almost all their players, both domestic and foreign. Because of their financial difficulties, coach Vu Quang Bao had to let go of three of his best players – Tien Thanh, Oseni, and Patiyo – after the 2016 season. Now, the team in green only has Buu Ngoc, Chi Cong, and Quang Tinh among the domestic players with some reputation, while the rest are just average names.

Can Tho's foreign players were also only "average". Therefore, when playing away from home, no one thought Can Tho could get any points against an SLNA team desperate for their first points.

A dangerous attacking situation for SLNA in the first half, unfortunately, Henry (45) of SLNA missed a chance when facing the ball.

Returning to the match's events, despite the pressure to secure the first points, coach Nguyen Duc Thang decided to field a team with many young players such as Sy Nam, Ngoc Duc, Ngoc Toan… However, right after the opening whistle, with the enthusiastic support of the home fans, Ngoc Hai and his teammates still managed to create a very good game against their opponent.

On the other side of the pitch, coach Vu Quang Bao instructed his players to play a proactive defensive counter-attacking game, which is why they still managed to put a lot of pressure on SLNA's goal.

For example, in the 7th minute, midfielder Vu Anh Tuan took a free kick as instructed by coach Quang Bao on the sidelines. Chi Cong made a determined run and touched the ball into Nguyen Manh's net. Fortunately for Nguyen Manh and his teammates, the referee ruled that the Can Tho captain was offside.

In the stands, the fans were extremely worried during the visitors' counter-attack in the 7th minute.

SLNA's most convincing response came in the 28th minute, with a brilliant attack that beat the Can Tho defense. Henry Shackiel crossed the ball to Olaha, whose header deflected off The Cuong, who was one-on-one with Buu Ngoc. However, The Cuong's quick shot went wide, a very unfortunate miss despite the Can Tho goalkeeper being rooted to the spot.

In the following minutes, SLNA continued to create more dangerous attacks, but Thế Cường, Henry Shackiel, and Olaha all missed opportunities, particularly when Olaha dribbled past several Can Tho defenders but shot directly at Bửu Ngọc's feet. The first half ended goalless.

In the second half, SLNA continued to dominate possession, but created very few dangerous opportunities, partly due to a lack of sharpness in their attack and partly because the team from Can Tho deliberately dropped deeper into their own half. It seemed that with the game unfolding in this manner, neither team would leave the field without a goal. However, in the 69th minute, Olaha's dribbling effort led to a cross into the penalty area, where Henry Shackiel delivered the ball to The Cuong. Cuong, caught off guard, couldn't get a proper shot off, but Henry Shackiel was in the right place at the right time to finish from close range, beating Buu Ngoc.

After taking the lead, Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team seemed to be freed up. Phi Son on the left wing and Olaha on the opposite wing continuously dribbled the ball, cutting straight into the center to either shoot or pass to players inside the 16-meter box. Unfortunately, all of these only resulted in missed opportunities.

A dangerous attacking situation for SLNA in the second half of the match.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang celebrates with the players as the team breaks the deadlock.

Fans in stand B were overjoyed when their team scored.

Just when it seemed that SLNA, dominating the game, would sooner or later score another goal, a surprise occurred. From the only possible attack by Can Tho players in the second half, the team from the Western region scored the equalizer, much to the immense disappointment of thousands of fans in the stadium.

The incident occurred in the second minute of added time, from a tricky cross by former player Quang Tình from the right wing. Can Tho striker Hai Anh missed the header, but the ball spun and Ngoc Hai, in his attempt to block it, inadvertently put the ball into his own net. 1-1 was also the final score of the match.

Despite scoring, Phi Son still fought valiantly amidst the Can Tho players' encirclement, but unfortunately, a defensive error ruined all the players' efforts.

With a 1-1 draw, both SLNA and Can Tho have one point each and remain in the relegation zone after Round 2 of the V-League. In the upcoming match, SLNA will still play at home against Sanna Khanh Hoa, a team not considered to be particularly strong, at 4:30 PM on January 18th.

Hopefully, the young SLNA players, after unfortunately letting victory slip away in injury time, will learn to focus more until the referee blows the final whistle so that fans can fully enjoy their first win of the season. And also so that SLNA can climb the standings in what is predicted to be an extremely difficult and fierce season.

Canh Nam - Minh Quan