Song Lam Nghe An should forget the goal of top 3 V-League to play

Certainly, after 2 consecutive defeats, SLNA's biggest problem is to stabilize the players' spirit. After a series of 9 consecutive wins, Nghe An fans and players have returned to earth when facing strong opponents in this season's V-League.

Compared to the 8 teams that SLNA met in the second leg, except for TP HCM, the remaining teams are all considered stronger than the home team Vinh. Difficulties are awaiting coach Duc Thang and his team.

Forget the medals

SLNA's defeat to FLC Thanh Hoa in the National Cup and Hanoi FC in round 21 is not too surprising. In the past, when SLNA had the strongest squad, they still lost at Hang Day Stadium, so when the squad was broken and they lost 0-2, it is not something to blame.

Players like Ho Tuan Tai really need to compete to gain experience. Photo: Duc Anh

In terms of expertise, the game tactics were correct, the fighting spirit of SLNA players was remarkable. Their foreign players were too good, too strong, combined with the domestic players who were worth the money, Hanoi was the most deserving champion of the past 18 V-League seasons.

In the remaining 5 matches, SLNA will hardly earn more than 9 points to compete for medals and in our opinion, even if there is a chance, the biggest goal of the Nghe An team is still to train for next season.

The fact that goalkeeper Le Van Hung, 26 years old, is still a reserve for Vu Hai, who is the second reserve for Hai Phong, is the clearest proof that many Nghe An players are lacking opportunities to gain experience. Meanwhile, Dinh Bao - a player who did not have many opportunities when he was at SLNA - has just shone when replacing foreign player Errol Anthony Stevens who was disciplined by Hai Phong.

At the end of the 2018 V-League season, many SLNA players born in 1993 such as Ngoc Hai, Manh Hung, Xuan Toan, Sy Nam, Xuan Thang, Sy Sam will have their contracts expire. This is the time when SLNA's coaching board needs to quickly finalize the list of players to be re-signed and give them the opportunity to gain more experience in the last 5 rounds.

With the positions that will be leaving at the end of this season, it is also necessary to promote young players to replace them right now. SLNA does not need to focus too much on this season's achievements, but needs to proactively build up its force for the future.

More than anyone else, SLNA is the team that understands the poor results at the beginning of the season due to the late formation of the team. Foreign players Lynch Jemie and Olaha are also being targeted by many V-League teams. The lesson of Quang Nam and XSKT.Can Tho about being "hooked and lured" by teams to buy foreign players is still hot for all members of SLNA's coaching board.

Looking at the competition

In the next match, SLNA will meet Da Nang. This will be an open match, as Minh Phuong and his SHB.Da Nang players have just had an important victory, separating them from the relegation zone. In the contextLe Van Hung, Louis Ewode, Bui Tien Dung received penalties, Lam Anh Quang got injured, Duc Chinh showed signs of overload after ASIAD 18, they still had a convincing victory against XSKT.Can Tho.

Without Merlo, SLNA's defense is much lighter. Photo: Internet

Coach Minh Phuong himself is testing the “no Do Merlo” tactic, a veteran and a pillar of the team on the banks of the Han River for a long time. In the SHB.Da Nang shirt, he was a dangerous striker in the V-League, winning the top scorer title 4 times in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2016. Currently, he is one of the 3 strikers with the most goals in the V-League.

If the home team Van Duc and Xuan Manh cannot play, Duc Chinh, who replaced Merlo to lead the SHB.Da Nang attack, also played quite poorly. Van Long, after 3 seasons, has just scored his first goal in the V-League. Goalkeeper Le Van Hung is still suspended, Huy Toan is not sure to be on the list, the 2 most memorable names are Louis Ewode and Minh Tam.

This is a match where the home team is still rated higher, if the SLNA coaching staff and players can quickly regain their spirit. Players Olaha and Khac Ngoc need to be pushed higher to increase pressure on goalkeeper Thanh Binh's goal.

AT