If 'conceding the West', Song Lam Nghe An is still a tough opponent

(Baonghean.vn) - This weekend, the Nghe An team will return to Vinh Stadium to welcome Than Quang Ninh in the V.League. That will be the right "test" to prove the quality of SLNA's domestic players.

June 29 will be the deadline for teams to finalize their squad and foreign players. Over the past 2 months, the Nghe An team has not found any suitable foreign striker. And of course, even if any foreign player arrives at Vinh Stadium, in the next 2 rounds, SLNA will still play with only foreign player Olaha Michael. That is the match against Than Quang Ninh at Vinh Stadium on June 24 and the away match against Quang Nam on June 28.

With only foreign player Olaha in the attack, SLNA's coaching staff still does not need to change much in terms of tactics. Photo: Trung Kien

With only foreign player Olaha in the attack, SLNA's coaching staff still does not need to change much in terms of tactics. In the matches against Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in the National Cup, the player who played the position left by Henry was Ho Phuc Tinh. At My Dinh Stadium, the striker born in 1994 did quite well in stirring up the opponent's defense, but in the first and second leg of the quarter-finals, this player continuously scored goals. In which, the role of striker Olaha was demonstrated.

The midfield consists of four familiar faces: Phi Son, The Cuong (Van Duc), Khac Ngoc and Van Vinh (Thanh Phong). Although striker Phan Van Duc has only scored 1 goal after 5 matches in the V.League, this player is showing remarkable progress and is highly appreciated by the SLNA coaching staff and teammates.

In midfield, there is a very special player, Van Vinh. Because of this player's experience, SLNA only had to accept 1 loss in the 2016 season and 1 loss in V.League 2017 when he was in the squad.

Perhaps, Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's concern is the weakness left by Sy Nam. Although he supports the attack well, SLNA's right-back still occasionally shows mistakes and lacks concentration, allowing opposing strikers to take advantage.

In addition, Vo Ngoc Duc on the left wing is also gradually regaining his confidence. The central defender pair that SLNA owns is Van Khanh - Ngoc Hai, national players. They have good height and have played together for a long time, so SLNA's coaching board can completely trust this duo.

Talking about the Nghe An team before the second leg, expert Nguyen Thanh Vinh said: “SLNA’s domestic players are all young and quality players. If they are trusted and given opportunities and the head coach can develop their strengths, they are fully capable of taking on the task. By promoting their traditional playing style, SLNA is still a tough opponent in the V.League.”

The person expected to solve the goal-scoring problem at this time for SLNA is Ho Phuc Tinh. Photo: Trung Kien

Everything will be more favorable for coach Nguyen Duc Thang when defender Tran Dinh Hoang will return after 3 more rounds. However, looking back and forth, SLNA is still stuck with 2 problems. That is the high concentration of the defense at decisive moments, especially the last minutes of the match. The second problem is the goal scorer. Ho Tuan Tai is still injured, but Ho Phuc Tinh's form at this time can completely bring certain peace of mind.

Losing one foreign player means more opportunities for young players to have motivation to strive. In addition, domestic players playing together, training together for a long time, will certainly play well together and understand each other better than any foreign player./.

Trung Kien