Concerns on both sides of the Lam River regarding football in Nghe An province.

Thus, after 6 encounters, each team has 1 win and 4 draws, accurately reflecting the strength of the two teams from Nghe An province, both in the past and present. The people of Ha Tinh have reason to worry, as after the draw, the Nui Hong team is now only 1 point ahead of the bottom-placed team. Meanwhile, the prospect of continuing to go empty-handed after the arrival of sponsor Tan Long is looming large for Song Lam Nghe An.

Hong Linh, Ha Tinh and the red light group

Captain Dinh Thanh Trung is the hope of Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Photo: VPF

Direct rival Ho Chi Minh City FC has shown positive changes after appointing coach Vu Tien Thanh and his new staff. The team's leadership also reached an agreement with the group of 13 players who had previously spoken out about outstanding payments from the previous season, and they decided to play and ultimately secured a 2-1 victory against hosts Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

Meanwhile, at Saigon FC, after bringing in coach Le Huynh Duc as Technical Director, they continued to appoint Nguyen Thai Phien - Deputy General Director of NovaGroup - as Chairman of the club, replacing Tran Hoa Binh. The arrival of Le Huynh Duc and the foreign players has truly increased the worries of the Ha Tinh team. This direct opponent is said to have money, resources, and connections, so they cannot afford to be complacent.

Currently, Phi Son and Quach Tan have returned from injury, and Dinh Thanh Trung has also resumed training and may be able to come on for a few minutes at the end of the match. This allows coach Thanh Cong to switch from a 4-1-4-1 formation to a 4-4-2 when needed. The most important issue for Hong Linh Ha Tinh is to steer the team steadily towards the finish line.

Hong Mountain FC needs to improve its home form, as they have lost 4 out of 8 matches in Ha Tinh. The two matches against SHB Da Nang (the team just above them in the standings) and Binh Dinh (a championship contender) are both crucial. Securing three points against the team from the banks of the Han River at home is a mandatory task if they want to avoid sinking deeper into crisis.

The sole objective ofLam River, Nghe An

Olaha and Van Duc remain silent. Photo: VPF

Song Lam Nghe An, the visiting team, is currently on a six-match winless streak. Their away record this season has also been inconsistent, losing four out of eight matches, scoring only six goals but conceding eleven. The pressure to achieve a top-three finish in the 2022 V.League has been immense for coach Huy Hoang. The 3-1-4-1 formation currently employed by Song Lam Nghe An is not functioning smoothly due to a lack of necessary personnel, and the foreign players have yet to score. The team's tendency to receive many yellow cards has also created difficulties for them in terms of squad availability.

The problem for the Nghe An team remains their mentality; numerous opportunities in front of the opponent's goal were missed due to a lack of composure. Coach Huy Hoang boldly brought on young players like Van Cuong and Xuan Tien, leaving the foreign players on the bench. Trong Hoang has returned to training, as has Dinh Thanh Trung from Hong Linh Ha Tinh; these are important additions for the Nghe An team as they head towards the finish line.

It seems that when sponsors are not enthusiastic about offering bonuses in crucial matches, Song Lam Nghe An's only goal is to "train and refine the team." The 6-point gap to the medal-winning teams is something that coach Huy Hoang and the Song Lam Nghe An players will find difficult to overcome.

An Thanh