How can SLNA get points against Hanoi FC?
(Baonghean.vn) - "Not only did FLC Thanh Hoa lose 3-4, but now even if the rest of the V.League formed a team to play against Hanoi FC, they wouldn't necessarily be able to draw with them," a Thanh Hoa fan sitting in the Hang Day stadium told us.
We had to ask the fourth Hanoi FC fan to get information about the last defeat of coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's team, which was 7 months ago. That was a 2-3 loss to HAGL at Pleiku Stadium on October 27, 2017, in Round 22 of the V-League 2017.
Including the National Cup, the Hanoi team has now gone 16 matches unbeaten. If we only consider the V-League, they have just equaled the record of 9 unbeaten matches held by Gach DTLA and FLC Thanh Hoa last year.
Looking back at the two teams that have points.
To date, only B.Binh Duong and Saigon have managed to get points when facing Hanoi, with both matches ending in a 1-1 draw. In the Round 4 match, Van Hau and Quang Hai were not yet in their best physical and mental condition, so they were on the bench. Hung Dung played as a central midfielder, and Van Thanh played as a left-back.
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| Oseni remains Hanoi FC's biggest threat. Photo: An Thanh |
At that time, the capital team's lineup consisted of Moses, Oseni, and Van Dai as the three attacking players, followed closely by two midfielders with a penchant for attacking play: Thanh Luong and Van Quyet.
Coach Minh Chiến employed a rather unusual tactic, leaving Anh Đức on the bench. The attack was left to Romario and Sỹ Giáp, while captain Tấn Tài dropped deep to defend. When trailing, Anh Đức came on and seized the opportunity to score the equalizer, then retreated to defend the lead.
Van Quyet had just returned from his suspension and hadn't yet found his rhythm with the team. His attacking moves were anticipated by Dinh Hoang Max, Xuan Luan, and Que Ngoc Manh, but goalkeeper Tan Truong did an excellent job correcting his teammates' mistakes. As a result, the Binh Duong team earned one point against the top contender for the championship.
The 1-1 draw at Hang Day Stadium was another "gamble" for coach Tai Em when facing coach Chu Dinh Nghiem. The home team played a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Hung Dung playing as a defensive midfielder, and Thanh Luong, Van Quyet, Quang Hai, and Moses playing behind striker Oseni.
Playing with a relatively low defensive line, and in a fortunate match, midfielder Huu Son scored very early. This allowed the visiting team to play defensively and counter-attack throughout the game. Tien Duy and Van Trien played tirelessly to limit Hanoi's players from showcasing their skills, and they managed to protect the narrow 1-1 draw.
Did the third-place team get a point?
In our assessment, at the Vinh stadium, coach Van Sy Son will still use the central midfield duo of Hung Dung and Duc Huy, and it is highly likely that midfielder Moses will replace Ngan Van Dai in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Thanh Luong has returned after his suspension, but he and Van Quyet will only hold the ball behind Oseni when a goal is needed.
Facing a physically strong SLNA side, Hanoi will likely limit the use of the attacking duo of Thanh Luong and Van Quyet, who are better at offense than defense. Quang Hai, a player in consistent form, will be in the starting lineup.
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| Interim coach Van Sy Son is doing a pretty good job. Photo: An Thanh |
By now, the Hanoi and SLNA players are very familiar with each other's playing style, so it's not difficult to predict that Van Quyet and his teammates will play a high-pressing game, contesting the ball right from the home team's half. So far, 10 Hanoi players have scored, evenly distributed across all three lines; except for Thanh Luong, all the midfielders have scored.
Hung Dung, Van Quyet, and Quang Hai are all "sharpshooters" with long-range shots and free kicks. To get points, the home team SLNA first needs to focus on defense and prevent the opponent from scoring first. Except for B.Binh Duong, who conceded first to Hanoi but still managed to get a point, other teams that conceded first to the capital city team only suffered defeats or complete collapses, like SHB.Da Nang (4-0) or HAGL (5-0).
SLNA players need to carefully study the video of the second leg of the National Cup quarter-final between Hanoi and HAGL. This is a match where the HAGL players learned lessons after their crushing 0-5 defeat in Round 3 of the 2018 V-League.
They also played a high-pressure, back-and-forth game, despite the rather poor quality of their foreign players. However, due to their good ball control, the home team was unable to impose their style of play. In addition, SLNA still needs to improve their aerial ability and the decisiveness of goalkeeper Vu Hai in coming out of his goal.