Is it time for Song Lam Nghe An to give up on the AFC Cup?

Currently, the Vinh home team is temporarily ranked 2nd in Group H, equal in points with the leading team, Persija (10 points), but inferior in terms of secondary index. As long as they do not lose to their opponent Johor (currently with 7 points) in the last match, SLNA will certainly win the second place in Group H and have a good chance of becoming the second team with the best performance, which means a ticket to continue.

However, to prepare for the match in Malaysia, coach Nguyen Duc Thang only brought along mostly the players who often sit on the bench. Key players such as Khac Ngoc, Olaha, Ngoc Hai, Xuan Manh were all allowed by SLNA’s coaching staff to stay at Vinh Stadium, alongside the “wounded soldiers” including: Nguyen Manh, Ngoc Toan, Phuc Tinh…

Khac Ngoc (in yellow shirt) did not go to Malaysia with his teammates. Photo: Duc Anh

The fact that the Nghe An team traveled to Malaysia without bringing their strongest squad for the crucial match has led many to believe that coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team are deliberately giving up on the AFC Cup.

This doubt is completely understandable, because SLNA's goal in the away match against Johor is to at least return with 1 point in hand. Only then will the ticket to the next round 100% belong to Van Duc and his teammates.

Moreover, the opponent Johor is not an easy opponent to bully. It is true that in the first leg match at Vinh Stadium on February 28, SLNA had no difficulty in defeating this team with a score of 2-0. But now meeting again at the opponent's stadium, the chance of winning points for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team is not high.

Don’t forget, Johor’s squad has the presence of many Malaysian players. The strength of coach Raul Longhi and his team cannot be underestimated. Moreover, Johor still has a chance to enter the next round.

Therefore, the SLNA coaching staff did not bring Khac Ngoc, Ngoc Hai, Olaha, Xuan Manh... which means they do not really take the match with Johor too seriously. This is completely understandable in the current situation of the Nghe An team.

In V.League 2018, after 6 rounds, coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team have only won 1 match, drawn 3 matches and lost 2 matches. With 6 points in hand, the Vinh team is currently struggling in 11th place on the rankings.

In the first leg, SLNA won 2-0 against Johor. Photo: Quang Minh

In terms of importance, not only for SLNA but for every team, the V.League arena is always prioritized over the AFC Cup.

While the home team is playing poorly in the domestic league and is also plagued by injuries, SLNA's coaching staff cannot risk the health of key players such as Ngoc Hai, Olaha, Khac Ngoc... If one of the above-mentioned players is unfortunately injured, SLNA will immediately be in danger in V.League 2018.

That does not mean that coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team are traveling to Malaysia just for fun. On the contrary, the Nghe An team will play with the highest determination possible to bring home a positive result.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang once affirmed: "SLNA always maintains the spirit of striving to devote themselves to the flag, the club's brand and is worthy of representing Vietnam to compete in the AFC Cup."

Certainly, the Nghe An team will not give up the AFC Cup. It is just that the SLNA coaching staff is choosing the best option for the team in the current situation./.

Thanh Hung