SLNA vs. Than Quang Ninh: The visitors hope for points, while the home team doesn't want to leave empty-handed.
(Baonghean.vn) - SLNA's opponent in the third round at home is Than Quang Ninh, a team that has won both of its opening matches and is currently second in the standings. At the beginning of the season, coach Phan Thanh Hung confidently announced the goal of the team from Quang Ninh to finish in the Top 3 of V.League 2018.
Entering the 2018 V-League season, many fans were worried because the atmosphere surrounding Than Quang Ninh FC's preparations for the new season was quite subdued due to financial difficulties. It's no surprise that the club couldn't retain key players from the previous season, such as Van Hieu, Minh Tung, and especially captain Minh Tuan.
Just when it seemed that amidst all the difficulties, the team's performance would decline, coach Phan Thanh Hung announced Than Quang Ninh's specific goal: to finish in the Top 3 of the V.League 2018. After two rounds, the results show that this coach from Quang Ninh province kept his word.
Building the system
Following the coaching career of Phan Thanh Hung from Hanoi FC to the present, it's easy to see that he has always focused on building a collective playing style and a system from youth training to the first team. Therefore, when Phan Thanh Hung left Hanoi FC and Chu Dinh Nghiem took over, the capital city team remained very strong.
Than Quang Ninh's strength comes from the spirit and unity of the entire team, not from any individual. The brilliance of any particular player in a match is thanks to the support of the whole team. Coach Phan Thanh Hung has been building Than Quang Ninh's playing style according to his football philosophy.
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| Eydison has somewhat made people forget about Vu Minh Tuan. |
To avoid the departure of several key players leaving vacant positions, Quang Ninh FC quickly built a new leadership. Hai Huy, who partners with Minh Tuan, was entrusted by the coaching staff and players with the captain's armband and the role of orchestrator, directing the team's playing style. Supporting Hai Huy is the former captain of SHB Da Nang, a favorite pupil of coach Phan Thanh Hung.
Similar to SLNA, coach Phan Thanh Hung aims to train a player who can play in multiple positions for flexible use. Therefore, when Minh Tung leaves, the ideal partner for center-back Thanh Hao could be Tuan Tu, Huy Cuong, Van Viet, or young center-back Viet Trieu.
Given the opportunity to play against Saigon, center-back Vu Viet Trieu, born in 1997, performed quite impressively. Replacing his former pupil Bui Van Hieu, who returned from Hanoi to join the team under his mentor, coach Phan Thanh Hung has players like Nguyen Sa, Hong Quan, Nhat Minh, Kizito, Van Dieu, and Thanh Tung.
Following the departures of Minh Tuan and Duc Thang, coach Phan Thanh Hung can be completely reassured by the return of Quach Tan and especially foreign player Eydison with his rather unusual left foot. Eydison doesn't have the speed and dribbling skills of Minh Tuan, but in return, he will cause problems for defenses that only use domestic players, like SLNA. Right-back Xuan Manh (Dinh Hoang) will certainly have a tough time facing this foreign player.
In the 2018 season, coach Phan Thanh Hung will introduce a new signing to the V-League, Joel Vinicius, who is making his debut in Vietnam. He promises to be an interesting "dark horse" for Than Quang Ninh against any opponent and a key player for coach Phan Thanh Hung to switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-1-4-1 formation, thanks to his ability to operate independently.
Customers want points
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| Nghiem Xuan Tu is currently the fastest right winger in the V-League. Photo: AT |
As a coach with one of the best track records in the V-League, Coach Phan Thanh Hung understands the home team's situation very well. Than Quang Ninh only needs one point at Vinh Stadium before returning to Cam Pha to face Quang Nam, while SLNA doesn't want to leave empty-handed before facing FLC Thanh Hoa.
This is truly a "difficult situation" for the home team SLNA, especially after their recent defeat against S. Khanh Hoa. Compared to the team from the coastal city, the team from the mining region has a faster playing style, with Xuan Tu, Joel Vinicius, and Joel Vinicius combining more effectively.
Perhaps that's why the match between SLNA and Than Quang Ninh promises to be more unpredictable and will certainly still attract a large crowd to the stadium.