Song Lam Nghe An: Can they stop their losing streak?

Neighboring team Dong A Thanh Hoa wasn't particularly strong in the early stages of the season for various reasons, but whenever they faced Song Lam Nghe An, whether at home or away, they always proved to be just as competitive.

The Lam River in Nghe An province cannot easily achieve what it needs. (Photo courtesy of Chung Nguyen)

Indeed, the 0-0 draw might satisfy both teams because, currently, despite wanting three points, Song Lam Nghe An cannot easily achieve their goal, while Dong A Thanh Hoa is also powerless. Despite having home advantage, Song Lam Nghe An is missing three key players: Olaha, Ojong Mark, and Van Khanh. Actually, the absence of Ojong Mark or Van Khanh is not unfamiliar to the Vinh-based team (Van Khanh has been out since the beginning of round 2, only returning from round 5; Ojong Mark has been out since round 5), but the absence of Olaha clearly shows how much the team's strength has been diminished. Without Olaha in attack, coach Huy Hoang was forced to pair Van Duc with Oseni, but while this doesn't truly strengthen the attack, it also leaves a transitional player from midfield. Van Viet replaced Van Duc in this role, but he is far from reaching the stature of his senior teammate.

Olaha's unrestrained behavior in the match at Hang Day Stadium in round 10 is "backfiring" in Song Lam Nghe An's matches in rounds 11 and 12, forcing the team to scramble to patch things up, and the more they patch things up, the more the systemic "flaws" become apparent. First, when a team fields only one foreign player, the fault lies in the transfer process and the lack of necessary backup options. Foreign players certainly have ample stamina for each match, but injuries and suspensions are normal occurrences, so their absence due to health issues or suspensions is commonplace. Unfortunately for Song Lam Nghe An, this wasn't easily achieved, as problems occurred with two foreign players simultaneously, leaving no replacements (which is why Coach Huy Hoang announced he would soon be looking for additional foreign players). If misfortune strikes Oseni again, or if he has a bad day, being tightly marked like in the match against Dong A Thanh Hoa, everyone knows how ineffective Song Lam Nghe An's attack will be.

Without Olaha playing wide to stretch the opponent's defense, and lacking the stamina and strength to confront the two foreign players guarding the visiting team's defense, all of Song Lam Nghe An's attacking efforts yielded no concrete results. It's worth adding that in this match, due to the absence of key players, Huy Hoang continuously fielded young players including Xuan Tien and Van Viet as starters, followed by Van Cuong, 18-year-old Nam Hai, Xuan Dai… but all of them contributed more to individual performances than to the collective effort. It's very difficult for these young players to achieve something special like Phi Hoang and Dinh Duy of SHB Da Nang once did…

Due to a direct red card, Olaha will miss two consecutive matches in rounds 11 and 12 (against Dong A Thanh Hoa at home and Nam Dinh away). This will double, or even triple, the difficulty for the team from Vinh, as Thien Truong Stadium has always been a difficult place for any team to visit, including Hanoi FC and Song Lam Nghe An. Nam Dinh just had an important victory against Ho Chi Minh City in round 11 (2-1) and with this momentum, they will fight hard to earn three valuable points against the struggling Song Lam Nghe An.

Hopefully, the difficulties will bring out the best in Huy Hoang and his players. To avoid being overwhelmed by the physical style of play of the foreign players, the Song Lam Nghe An central defenders, led by Ngoc Hai, must know how to maintain control of the game from start to finish. Sy Hoang's physical weakness could be exploited, so they need a way to support this very skillful left-back, especially in situations where he pushes forward to create chances. Nam Hai might be brought on earlier to add more steel to the midfield. When opportunities arise for young players, if they seize them quickly, not only they but the entire team will gain the necessary strength against any opponent.

While top teams like Hanoi FC and Hoang Anh Gia Lai are increasingly demonstrating their strength in the race, Song Lam Nghe An is unfortunately dropping points in recent matches. If they don't stop this losing streak, specifically in the upcoming match against Nam Dinh, things could very well slip out of their grasp. That's the real early warning sign for Huy Hoang and his players.

Chau Phu