Song Lam Nghe An: Who will win the flag?

(Baonghean.vn) - It is highly likely that in the second phase of V.League 2017, the Nghe An team will only use one foreign player, Olaha, because the search for a replacement striker for Henry has not yielded the desired results. Therefore, the center forward position will be a competition between three young forwards: Tuan Tai, Phuc Tinh, and Viet Nguyen.

Is Tuần Tài gaining the upper hand?

After a period of absence, striker Phuc Tinh is regaining his image as a lethal goalscorer. (Photo: Archival image)

Overall, Tuan Tai is rated higher than his two teammates. It's not just now that the opportunity to secure a starting position in SLNA's attack has opened up for the striker from Hung Nguyen; for the past three years, the former Vietnam U19 national team player has consistently been recognized as the most promising and talented domestic striker at Vinh Stadium, and even in Vietnamese football at the U23 level. The number of times he's been called up to the national team (Vietnam senior team, Vietnam U22 team) already confirms Tuan Tai's talent.

Although Tuan Tai was frequently benched during the first half of this season, this is not unusual, as the SLNA coaching staff placed their full trust in the foreign duo Olaha and Henry. Because of this, the 22-year-old striker was unable to fully showcase his abilities. The statistics don't lie: after 13 matches in the V.League 2017, Tuan Tai made 8 appearances (all as a substitute) for a total of approximately 157 minutes, and scored 1 goal.

Striker Tuan Tai has many advantages to secure a starting position in the SLNA lineup for the second half of the season. (Photo: Archival image)

Currently, "Van Quyen's cousin" is recovering from injury. If he doesn't quickly regain 100% fitness and top form, Tuan Tai is highly likely to be benched in upcoming matches for the Nghe An team. This also means he risks missing the 29th Sea Games in Malaysia in August this year.

Will Phuc Tinh win pole position?

Recurring injuries and the SLNA coaching staff's over-reliance on foreign strikers have caused the "Best Player of the 2014 Thanh Nien Newspaper U21 Cup" to suddenly disappear from the scene. Statistics clearly reflect this: in the 2015 V.League season, Phuc Tinh played a total of 380 minutes and scored 2 goals; in the 2016 V.League season, the player from Quynh Luu only played a mere 44 minutes and failed to score a single goal; in the first 13 matches of the 2017 V.League season, Phuc Tinh only played 20 minutes and had yet to score a goal.

Phuc Tinh is becoming the hope of SLNA. (Photo: Archival image)

However, the 1994-born striker is currently in excellent form. In the first leg of the National Cup quarter-final between SLNA and Ho Chi Minh City FC, held at Vinh Stadium on June 16th, Phuc Tinh delivered an outstanding performance. His goal against goalkeeper Esele was the result of a well-timed run, a delicate touch after a pass from Phi Son, and a cool, accurate finish. Besides breaking the deadlock, Phuc Tinh also contributed with a clever assist, setting up teammate Van Duc for a header to seal a 3-1 victory for his team.

With SLNA unlikely to recruit more foreign players, and his teammate Tuan Tai not yet having regained his fitness and form, Phuc Tinh will almost certainly be the first choice for the top striker position in the Nghe An team's attack, at least in the upcoming matches. Not taking advantage of this opportunity to shine would be a great pity for the striker from Quynh Luu. The ball is in his court, so seize the opportunity, Phuc Tinh!

Is Viet Nguyen at a disadvantage?

It's obvious without much analysis that Viet Nguyen can't compete for a starting spot with Tuan Tai and Phuc Tinh. Besides his physical advantage, the striker, who once studied at Vinh University, is clearly inferior to his teammates in the same position. Recent statistics clearly show this: after 13 matches in the 2017 V.League, Viet Nguyen hasn't played a single minute, and naturally, his goal tally remains at zero.

Viet Nguyen (number 31) has yet to make a strong impression while playing for SLNA recently. (Image: Internet)

In the national cup competition, the player born in 1995 has also been unable to feature in the starting lineup. Clearly, with what's happening, Viet Nguyen will have to continue being content with sitting on the bench whenever SLNA plays. That doesn't mean the opportunity for the striker, who is over 1.8m tall, is over. Anything can happen; with continued effort, training, and patience, success will come for Viet Nguyen. Hopefully, in the near future, fans in Nghe An will witness fair and exciting competition among young strikers in the colors of SLNA and the national team.

It's clear who holds the flag now, but whether they can wave it remains to be seen.

Thanh Hung