Long An - SLNA: Home team 'breaks curse'?

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of January 22, at Long An Stadium, Coach Ngo Quang Sang and his team will face off against guests from Nghe An. This match is noteworthy due to the current situation of the two teams and the fate that has been going on for over a decade.

In the third round, once again, coach Nguyen Duc Thang's students lost 2 points in extra time. It was these unfortunate "incidents" that caused SLNA to still not have a single victory after the first 3 matches, even though Nguyen Manh and his teammates played 2 matches at home.

All difficulties are surrounding the Nghe An team, from the results on the field and in the stands, from the form to the position on the rankings. If SLNA does not achieve a positive result in just one more match, it will fall into a real crisis. To quickly escape that scary scenario, there is no other way than to win against Long An in this round 4.

In theory, that is true, but whether it can be done or not is another story. Regardless of how strong coach Ngo Quang Sang and his team are, the Nghe An team itself is facing many difficult problems. The defense lacks courage, often conceding goals quite easily under pressure from the opposing players. The attacks that are not highly rated such as XSKT Can Tho and S. Khanh Hoa also easily forced goalkeeper Nguyen Manh to pick the ball out of the net after not-so-dangerous situations, showing the fragility of the wall built by Ngoc Hai - Van Khanh...

Phi Son scored against Long An in the second leg of the 2016 season. Illustrative photo.

With SLNA's "purely domestic" defense, the ability to fight in the air is the "weakness" that opponents with foreign strikers can exploit. In the current situation, SLNA's coaching staff is finding it difficult to find an effective solution to overcome the weakness that has been exposed for a long time. All depends on the high concentration, the excellent performance of Van Khanh, Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Manh... and in dead ball situations, the support of Olaha, Henry when retreating. Otherwise, SLNA's coaching staff and fans will still have to "heart attack" before the opponent's attacks, especially in the final minutes of the match.

The defense is showing chronic errors, and the players on the attack line have not yet satisfied the SLNA coaching board. In the two matches against XSKT Can Tho and S. Khanh Hoa, the Nghe An team's forward line played quite cohesively with real coordinated situations. However, the ability to take advantage of opportunities to convert into goals, Phi Son, Henry, Olaha, The Cuong, Khac Ngoc have not done their job well. If these strikers were more accurate and sharper, SLNA would not have to suffer such a loss of points.

This trip to the South, the Nghe An team brought with them an unbeaten record against host Long An away from home since the inception of the V. League. Last season, in the return match between the two teams, Phi Son and Tuan Tai scored together to help SLNA beat Long An 2-1. These past advantages will be the basis for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team to have confidence in achieving favorable results at Long An in round 4 of the 2017 V. League.

On the other hand, entering this year's season, Long An has made major changes in terms of personnel. Experienced players such as Quy Suu and Danh Ngoc were brought in to join veterans Quang Thanh and Tai Em to support the youth of Hoang Lam, Phan Tan Tai and Huynh Tan Tai. In particular, the presence of the foreign duo Oseni and Apollon promises to help coach Ngo Quang Sang successfully solve the problem of goals. While Apollon is an unknown factor that will bring surprises to the opposing defenses, Oseni has proven his talent with 10 goals for XSKT Can Tho in V. League 2016.

Striker Oseni is a dangerous spearhead for SLNA's defense. Photo: Internet.

Thanks to quality additions, after 3 matches in V. League 2017, Long An has 4 points with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. Such a result is acceptable for the strength of coach Ngo Quang Sang and his team. Meeting an opponent in a dire situation like SLNA, is a great opportunity for the home team Long An to gain 3 points and erase the streak of not winning against the Nghe team that has existed for many years. If they can do that, Long An will have a certain advantage on the road to escape relegation with the remaining opponents, including SLNA.

With the foreign duo Oseni - Apollon on the attack line, coach Ngo Quang Sang will certainly instruct his students to thoroughly push the ball for these two killers to approach goalkeeper Nguyen Manh's goal. Obviously, this is a simple but extremely dangerous attack in the context of SLNA's defense often making serious mistakes. Along with that, the Southwestern team also does not forget to arrange a plan to lock down the dangerous strikers on the away team's side.

With home advantage, spirit and form far superior to the opponent, Long An will have many opportunities to win 3 points against the Nghe team. Everything is still just speculation, who wins, who loses, we have to wait until the referee's final whistle to know.

Tram Uyen