The difference in the North Central Vietnam derby

While not stronger, Dong A Thanh Hoa has always been a tough opponent for the Nghe An team, whether playing at home or away. The biggest difference in the match was that assistant coach Svetislav Tanasijevic had several quality foreign players at his disposal, such as Zé Paulo, Gustavo Costa Balotelli, and center-back Gustavo Santos. In the 4-2-3-1 formation, central midfielder Zé Paulo scored 3 goals, along with Doan Ngoc Tan, who effectively controlled the midfield.

East Asian hosts Thanh Hoa won 2-0 in the North Central Vietnam derby. (Photo: SFC)

Quality of foreign players

In contrast to his rather heavy build, slow movement, and lack of stamina, Oseni was benched. Coach Nguyen Huy Hoang deployed Van Duc on the right wing in attack alongside Olaha, while new signing Mario continued to be trusted to play in midfield. The fact that Oseni has gone 7 games without scoring and Olaha remains clumsy both in first touch and shooting shows that if the foreign players' performance doesn't improve, Song Lam Nghe An's goal of finishing in the top 3 will be difficult to achieve. Oseni and Olaha need to score at least 5 goals in V.League 2022 to help the Vinh-based team reach the top 3 at the end of the season.

The fact that Zé Paulo scored from a free kick about 20 meters out raises questions for the coaching staff of the Nghe An team during training sessions with the visiting team. The Song Lam Nghe An players jumped to block the ball while the Brazilian player shot low, with no one to block it. When using the two foreign players Oseni and Olaha, the Nghe An team almost exclusively relied on long, high passes, with center-back Gustavo Santos, who previously played for Song Lam Nghe An, standing at 1.97m tall.

Center-back Gustavo Santos played very effectively in man-marking and interceptions. Song Lam Nghe An's forwards Phan Van Duc, Olaha, and Oseni didn't have many good scoring opportunities. Clearly, Nguyen Huy Hoang's tactics in this match were unsuitable, and assistant coach Svetislav Tanasijevic easily neutralized them.

Rotating the main pillar

Without proper rotation, the older players of Song Lam Nghe An will run out of energy, easily leading to injuries. (Photo: SFC)

This was a match where key players Xuan Manh and Van Duc were out of form. Van Duc had shown signs of fatigue in recent matches, while Xuan Manh's misplaced pass led to Song Lam Nghe An conceding the second goal in a situation where they were under pressure from a 3-on-1 counter-attack. Playing on the right wing, Van Duc failed to utilize his strengths, playing too far from the opponent's goal and lacking the stamina to dribble the ball.

This is a crucial stage of the season, and captain Que Ngoc Hai has also experienced a significant decline in fitness, with numerous instances of players falling to the ground due to fouls from opponents. In upcoming matches, without proper rotation, the older players of Song Lam Nghe An will run out of energy, easily leading to injuries.

Clearly, with the current situation and a 9-point gap to the league leaders, Song Lam Nghe An's goal of winning the championship is now distant. However, to break into the top 3, coach Nguyen Huy Hoang is also facing fierce competition from experienced coaches like Duc Thang (Binh Dinh), Chu Dinh Nghiem (Hai Phong), Bae Ji-won (Viettel), and Kiatisak (Hoang Anh Gia Lai).

An Thanh