What do SLNA's young midfielders need to do to prove themselves?

In the second match of the season, coach Quang Trường continued to give opportunities to the relatively young central midfield duo of Văn Lắm and Đình Châu. The SLNA coaching staff used this pair in their opening match at Thống Nhất Stadium, and Đình Châu had to leave the field early after a collision with a Saigon FC foreign player.

Opportunities for young players

This is the youngest central midfield pairing in the V.League, characterized by an aggressive, power-oriented playing style. Dinh Chau possesses good physique and stamina, and is not afraid of physical contact. Xuan Thang and Dinh Tien play on the flanks in a 4-4-2 formation, while Tuan Tai and Phuc Tinh are assigned the role of forwards.

With eight players like Van Duc, Xuan Manh, Quoc Trung, etc., injured, this is an opportunity for the young SLNA players to prove themselves. With the visiting team also missing Hoang Thien, Van Khanh, and Huu Dinh, the burden of guiding their younger teammates against SLNA falls on the shoulders of Van Thang and Huynh Van Thanh.

Ho Tuan Tai has quite a few opportunities. (Photo courtesy of Duc Anh)

The fact that Van Lam and Dinh Chau played quite close together ensured they formed a defensive wall in front of the central defenders The Nhat and Van Khanh, but it weakened their counter-attacking options. When winning the ball, SLNA players often passed it to Xuan Thang and Dinh Tien on the flanks, making it easier for the visiting team to defend. Clearly, Xuan Thang had more experience than Dinh Tien and was given priority with the ball, but this midfielder only passed when he had run out of momentum, so his crosses were often weak and easily intercepted by the Binh Dinh defenders.

Lack of attack ideas

In terms of attacking power, in the match against first-division team Binh Dinh, the home team SLNA did not exert enough relentless pressure to exhaust the visiting team's players and cause them to collapse. Regarding creative ideas, the six players who regularly participated in attacks still lacked the unpredictability to surprise the opponent.

The two attacking players, Phuc Tinh and Tuan Tai, rarely had four-touch situations with a midfielder, so the visiting team's defense didn't face much difficulty. This was the second match where coach Quang Truong was forced to separate the duo of Van Lam and Dinh Chau, bringing in veteran Quang Tinh.

Clearly, when Bình Định switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation, freeing Quang Tình from defensive duties, they faced more difficulties. In the 60th minute, even with six defenders, the Tuyên Quang goalkeeper's net was still breached because the visiting players were not very wary of the presence of defender Sỹ Nam.

The match between SLNA and Binh Dinh had many exciting moments. (Photo courtesy of Duc Anh)

Next week, in the Round of 16 of the National Cup, hosts SLNA will face Ba Ria - Vung Tau, who recently surprisingly defeated Saigon FC. This match will allow the Vinh-based team to continue experimenting with their central midfield duo, Van Lam and Dinh Chau. Accordingly, coach Quang Truong needs to boldly deploy a 4-1-4-1 formation, pressing the opponent in their own half, and Dinh Chau needs to be more composed when winning the ball. For SLNA, three points alone are not enough; the crucial factor is how effectively the midfield functions.

An Thanh