SLNA's victory over HAGL: 'Young players are brave, older players are exemplary'

"FIFA Virus"

The fact that only goalkeeper Nguyen Manh was called up to the national team for the recent King's Cup campaign will certainly not please the fans in Nghe An. However, this also means that many of SLNA's key players have more time to rest and recover their physical and mental strength to be ready to face HAGL.

HAGL players were at a disadvantage in challenges against SLNA players throughout the match. Photo: Duc Anh

On the opposite side, HAGL contributed 5 players to the Vietnamese national team's recent trip to Thailand and 3 players to the U23 Vietnam vs. U23 Myanmar friendly match in preparation for the SEA Games.

Apart from Van Thanh, who was sidelined due to injury, all the other players were given a chance to play. This difference in physical fitness allowed SLNA to dominate the game against the team from the mountain town for the entire 90 minutes.

Natural conditions

Clearly, it's not easy for any team outside of the North Central region to have to play away against SLNA at 5 PM this season.

The hot, dry weather combined with the hot, dry winds from Laos not only caused the players' physical condition to deteriorate rapidly but also turned the grass on the Vinh stadium pitch into a "desert."

The head coach of HAGL believes that the poor condition of the pitch at Vinh Stadium was partly to blame for the defeat. Photo: Duc Anh

Of course, the home team was already very familiar with these harsh conditions and was able to turn those difficulties into their own advantages.

The HAGL players became increasingly exhausted as the game progressed, and on a pitch of substandard quality, the visiting team's style of play, which relied heavily on passing, became increasingly ineffective.

As the match drew to a close, and the sun began to set, SLNA became more energetic and mentally relaxed, ready to "finish off" their opponents.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang is willing to change.

Throughout the match against HAGL, spectators were surprised by the surprisingly transformed approach and playing style of SLNA.

On the pitch, coach Nguyen Duc Thang didn't have much time to sit on the bench throughout the match; he went to the sidelines to urge his players to push forward, calling out the names of those who weren't playing with enough enthusiasm.

Ho Tuan Tai has scored in two consecutive rounds. Photo: Duc Anh

This resulted in a nail-biting match for HAGL at Vinh Stadium, while the home team, having broken the deadlock, continued their strong attack in search of a second goal. The change in tactical thinking by the SLNA head coach helped his team deliver a performance that pleased the fans.

Young people are brave, old people are exemplary.

On a day when the defense didn't have much to do, on the attacking front, both seasoned veterans and budding newcomers left a distinct impression in the home team's three goals.

With experienced players providing solid support, the young SLNA players are performing brilliantly. Photo: Duc Anh

In addition, players like Ngoc Toan, Xuan Thang, and Xuan Manh all played very actively. Ho Tuan Tai scored his second goal in two consecutive rounds of the V.League 2019, while Olaha also scored again after more than 6 goalless matches.

The fiery cauldron of Vinh City comes back to life.

Following a series of unimpressive results over several rounds, the Vinh Stadium has seen a decreasing number of spectators each time SLNA returns to play at home.

However, HAGL is an opponent that always attracts considerable attention from Vietnamese football fans whenever they play, and their away match against SLNA in Round 13 of the V.League 2019 was no exception.

It's been a long time since the "Thanh Vinh cauldron" was this packed. Photo: Duc Anh

It's been a long time since such a massive crowd surged into the "Vinh City Cauldron," fueled by tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans. This gave the home team's players renewed strength, allowing them to dance with the ball and secure SLNA's biggest victory of the season so far.

With the victory against HAGL and the change in playing style, the team at Vinh Stadium will be able to attract fans back to their home ground, so that it can soon become a "cauldron of passion" like in its golden age.

Sy Hieu