Will Vo Ngoc Toan's injury put SLNA in a difficult position?

(Baonghean.vn) - SLNA secured a convincing victory against HAGL in Round 10 of the V. League. However, the joy of the Nghe An team was not complete as midfielder Vo Ngoc Toan suffered a fairly serious injury and will be out of action for at least a month.

In their squad registration list for the first half of the V.League season, SLNA has a total of three midfielders playing in the "anchor" position: Vo Ngoc Toan, Nguyen Van Vinh, and Ho Sy Sam. That number is reasonable, because center-back Que Ngoc Hai can still handle the role when needed.

However, after 10 rounds of matches, the defensive midfield position in front of the central defensive duo is revealing serious problems, significantly impacting the performance of the Nghe An team.

According to statistics, the "anchor" position has been the most unstable position for SLNA over the past period. Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Van Vinh, Vo Ngoc Toan, and Ho Sy Sam have been successively used by the coaching staff in different matches and at different times.

Each player has their own strengths, but also their own weaknesses. The first player to occupy this position was Que Ngoc Hai in the match between SLNA and host team FLC Thanh Hoa in the opening round of the V. League 2017.

Vo Ngoc Toan suffered a fairly serious injury in the match against HAGL. Photo: Trung Kien

Because it wasn't his preferred position, center-back Que Ngoc Hai couldn't make an impact against the cunning duo of Hoang Van Binh and Nguyen Trong Hoang from Thanh Hoa. Ultimately, the SLNA coaching staff decided to bring Vo Ngoc Toan onto the field and move Que Ngoc Hai back to center-back midway through the second half, with the score at 2-0 in favor of Coach Petrovic's team.

The appearance of Vo Ngoc Toan significantly improved SLNA's midfield performance, and the 1994-born midfielder almost scored a goal with a header in the 75th minute.

Witnessing his impressive performance in over 20 minutes against FLC Thanh Hoa, the SLNA coaching staff entrusted Vo Ngoc Toan with the role of "anchor" in the matches against XSKT Can Tho, S. Khanh Hoa, and Long An. Indeed, the player from Quynh Luu played quite well, partnering with Ho Khac Ngoc and Olaha to make SLNA's midfield stronger and more solid.

Unfortunately, just as his form was stabilizing, Vo Ngoc Toan suffered an ankle injury. He was unable to participate in SLNA's matches after the Lunar New Year against Quang Nam and Than Quang Ninh.

Having just returned from injury, Vo Ngoc Toan was immediately used by the SLNA coaching staff in all three matches against B. Binh Duong (23 minutes), Saigon FC (57 minutes), and HAGL (11 minutes). In two of those three matches, the player born in 1994 came on as a substitute for his senior teammate Nguyen Van Vinh.

Unfortunately, Vo Ngoc Toan continued to suffer setbacks. In a ball-contesting incident in the 82nd minute with a HAGL player, the SLNA midfielder suffered a ligament sprain in his left knee. This injury will require him to wear a brace, rest for two weeks, and need at least a month of rehabilitation before he can resume normal training.

Therefore, the burden will fall on veteran Nguyen Van Vinh's shoulders. Objectively speaking, in recent matches, the midfielder wearing number 7 has played quite excellently, especially in the two matches against SHB Da Nang and HAGL.

It was thanks to the brilliant form of the 33-year-old veteran that the SLNA coaching staff felt less pressure regarding the deepest midfield position of the Nghe An team. Van Vinh's professional ability and experience are undeniable; the key issue here is that the veteran lacks the stamina to play for the full 90 minutes.

Without Vo Ngoc Toan, the SLNA coaching staff only has Ho Sy Sam as a player whose forte is playing in the defensive midfield position. However, being frequently relegated to the bench and only occasionally getting playing time in the midfield, often filling in as a right-back, makes it difficult for Ho Sy Sam to gain the trust of the coaching staff. Even if he is given a chance, he struggles to fulfill his assigned duties.

The burden will fall on the shoulders of veteran Nguyen Van Vinh. Photo: Trung Kien.

That's assuming Nguyen Van Vinh is still able to start the game. If the midfielder born in 1984 suffers an injury or receives a suspension, things will get worse. In that case, giving the role to Ho Sy Sam would be uncertain, and bringing Que Ngoc Hai up to the starting lineup wouldn't work either.

The solution of having Que Ngoc Hai play in the "anchor" position will disrupt the defense. Observing the recent matches, it's clear that the SLNA coaching staff intends to maintain a stable central defensive partnership of Que Ngoc Hai and Hoang Van Khanh.

SLNA still has three matches left against Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City FC, and Hanoi FC to conclude the first half of the season. Unfortunately for coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team, all of their upcoming opponents possess quite strong central midfield pairings.

To put it simply, Hai Phong has Minh Chau and Quoc Trung, Ho Chi Minh City FC has Victor and Duy Nam, and Hanoi FC has Moses and Duy Manh. If SLNA relies solely on veteran Nguyen Van Vinh, reserve specialist Ho Sy Sam, or Que Ngoc Hai, it's likely to be a case of "more harm than good."

That being said, Vo Ngoc Toan's injury at this time is having a significant negative impact on SLNA's strength. It's a red alert for the "anchor" position./.

Thanh Hung