"Decoding" SLNA's heavy defeat against Hanoi

It was not simply that “my players’ spirit was not good” as coach Duc Thang stated after the match. Nghe An fans realized that the team’s coaching staff was also at fault for this defeat.

Lose from the bench

SLNA strikers were almost harmless against the home team's defense. Photo: Trung Kien

Obviously, the coaching board did not prepare well for the match, focusing too much on non-professional matters such as the signing ceremony of a new sponsor. After a month of V.League break, both teachers and players of the Nghe An team showed considerable inertia. Many Nghe An fans blamed the team's leadership for not being quick enough to turn the sponsorship signing ceremony into a departure ceremony, to boost the players' morale. It had been a long time since SLNA had a good start to the season, but they immediately returned to their old disease, "diesel engine" when returning to the tournament.

Meanwhile, after the loss to Yangon United, the coaching staff and players of Hanoi were told to win big against SLNA to cool down public opinion. Looking at the way the two teams entered the match, it was clear that right from the preparation stage, coach Duc Thang had lost to coach Chu Dinh Nghiem. The fact that the home team Hanoi scored an early goal once again confirmed that.

SLNA's coaching staff did not clearly define the goal of the match, so when Vo Ngoc Toan came on the field, the tactical intention was still unclear. If they wanted to equalize, the attack was too thin, if they wanted to limit the loss, the formation was too high.

Hanoi soon created an advantage over SLNA. Photo: Trung Kien

In reality, things did not go like that, especially when the Hanoi coaching board skillfully added Quang Hai to this wing, SLNA collapsed. Dinh Hoang struggled without significant support from his teammates against an opponent that was too fast and too dangerous.

In the second half, SLNA still played with great effort. Photo: Trung Kien

3 out of 4 goals conceded by SLNA were exploited by the opponent on this wing, when the 2 central defenders could not keep up with the support situation for Dinh Hoang. In the difficulty in terms of personnel, Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem only needed to make a small adjustment to put Van Hau in the central defender position to control SLNA's high kicks.

Directing Duc Huy to stick closely to Olaha made SLNA's attack line become harmless, almost unable to coordinate any significant situations. This shows that in addition to the difference in player level on the field, the skills of the Hanoi coaching staff are much better than the visitors.

Weak body, weak spirit

SLNA's coaching staff had a problem with their physical preparation, not only The Cuong but also a series of Nghe An players such as Khac Ngoc, Van Binh, including 3 foreign players, all clearly lost strength in the second half. That is, Hanoi's policy was to slow down, mainly passing the ball throughout the second half, otherwise the away team would have lost much more.

For a long time, SLNA has often lost more than won in their confrontations with the capital team, but the spirit and physical strength of the Nghe An team are not inferior. A month of V.League break has made the Nghe An players sluggish, while the opponent has half of the squad participating in the Vietnam U23 team, so they are much more agile.

In the 21st minute, SLNA defender Van Khanh failed to clear the ball decisively in the penalty area, allowing Oseni to escape at a narrow angle. The home team's foreign striker crossed for Pape Omar to tap the ball into the net from close range, raising the score to 2-0 for Hanoi FC.

For a long time, the fiery fighting spirit has been the weapon that led to the victory of the Nghe An team. If SLNA plays weakly, it is inevitable that they will lose, in fact, they will lose heavily, making it difficult for the thousands of home fans present at Hang Day Stadium to be satisfied.

Catcosan Vinh