The story of the Nghe An 'musketeers' at Viettel

Except for the attack line, which was already the default for the foreign pair Caique and Bruno, who scored 12 of the team's total 28 goals, goalkeeper Nguyen Manh and the trio of chariot-cannon-horseNgoc Hai, Khac Ngoc, Trong Hoang are the pillars of the remaining lines. Except for injuries or penalty cards,Goalkeeper Nguyen Manh, Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc are always placed in the main squad of Viettel by coach Truong.

Affirming class

The “musketeers” from Nghe An are shining at SLNA. Photo: AT

In his first season playing for Viettel, goalkeeper Nguyen Manh has affirmed his professional level. He played all 19 matches and contributed significantly to Viettel conceding only 16 goals so far, becoming the team with the best defense along with Hanoi FC.V.League 2020With a 4-man defense line consisting mainly of domestic players, Viettel has stood firm against teams with expensive foreign players such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Quang Ninh.

Goalkeeper Duc Cuong of B.Binh Duong affirmed: “Nguyen Manh's class is unquestionable, it is the result of this national player's hard training process.Compared to the time he played for SLNA, Nguyen Manh's competitive mentality has improved a lot and created peace of mind for his teammates.

Viettel's strongest starting lineup this season. Photo: VTFC

Viettel has Brazilian center back Luizao but coach Truong Viet Hoang still trusts Que Ngoc Hai. 18/19 matches have shown how much trust this Nghe An player has. Compared to when he played for SLNA, this 27-year-old center back plays much colder. Even when appearing at hot spots to put pressure on referees and opposing players, the captain of the national team knows his limits.

The fact that Viettel had many matches where they only got 3 points by winning by a minimum of 1-0 was largely due to the defenders, of whom Que Ngoc Hai was the most highly regarded, not captain Tien Dung. The midfielders played in a confused manner, returning the ball to Ngoc Hai, then from the left foot, the ball was passed up to Caique and Bruno, making the opponent not dare to rush too high.

Khac Ngoc and Nguyen Manh left SLNA to join Viettel, both of them asserted their class. In the 4-4-2 formation of the army team, he was able to play more freely, which made Viettel's attacks more unpredictable. Simply put, in addition to his killer passes, this central midfielder also possesses long-range free kicks.

18 matches and 3 goals are not the ceiling of the midfielder's professional ability, who is eyeing the national team. The most regrettable thing is that the injury in the match against Hanoi prevented him from directly contributing to Viettel's championship. However, the arrival of Khac Ngoc at Hang Day Stadium has prevented Viettel from losing like in previous seasons. The axis of Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc and Trong Hoang understand each other very well and the V.League coaches always instruct their players to pass the ball with the right point for Trong Hoang to rush forward when playing against Viettel. If he improves his ability to play high balls and close-range shooting technique, Khac Ngoc will become the best central midfielder on the Vietnamese football field, regardless of whether or not he is called up to the national team by Mr. Park.

Chariot-cannon-horse trio

In the trio of chariots, cannons and horses at Viettel, the contribution ofTrong Hoangfor the team he is serving this season is somewhat more modest. Up to now, this right winger has only played 13 out of 19 matches and after 937 minutes on the field. After 13 matches, this 31-year-old midfielder has not scored any goals. But coach Truong Viet Hoang used the player with the most seniority in the national team to disrupt the opponent's playing style. Playing experience is the most valuable asset of this midfielder from Nghe An, he knows how to choose a position, appear at the right time and bring the match according to the coach's intention.

Watch Trong Hoang fight in the recent match withHanoi FCI just saw the influence of this player in the playing style of the 4G team. Holding the ball on the right wing, he suddenly charged straight into the 16.5m area, causing the defending champion team's defense to be confused.

Khac Ngoc was unable to play due to injury, the 3 musketeers from Nghe An will replace their teammates to fight on Thong Nhat Stadium with Saigon FC to compete for the championship. Regardless, this is still a successful match for Viettel and people will always remember the "musketeers" from Nghe An.

An Thanh