What does the Deputy General Director of Song Lam Nghe An Club say to the U17 SLNA players?

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia - Deputy General Director of Song Lam Nghe An Club. Photo: Sy Hieu

On this occasion, Nghe An Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia - Deputy General Director of the Club.Lam River Nghe Anto understand more about U17 Song Lam Nghe An.

PV: Could you tell us the importance of the National U17 Football Championship?

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:The National U17 Tournament plays a very important role in orienting the professional career of players. The age of 16, 17 is considered the gateway to help them shape their own abilities, thereby orienting their future career. Therefore, competing in this tournament will help them have the opportunity to rub shoulders and collide with different opponents, thereby helping them mature early. Players who shine in the tournament will have the opportunity to join the next generation of players for professional clubs and national teams.

This year's tournament has 30 teams participating. The teams are divided into 6 groups stretching from North to South. Through the matches in the group stage, I see that the current teams are invested quite systematically, thereby the professional quality is clearly improved. This is a good thing, opening up a bright future for the country's football.

The joy of Phung Van Nam and his U17 Song Lam Nghe An teammates after scoring a goal. Photo: Sy Hieu

PV: This year, the National U17 Tournament is the first in the system of National Youth Tournaments organized by the Vietnam Football Federation. So what instructions did Song Lam Nghe An Club give to the U17 team, when this team will "open the door" for the new season of the Song Lam Nghe An training center?

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:Before participating in the National U17 Qualifiers, the club's leaders asked the coaching staff to make a specific plan and evaluate the abilities of this group of players. We also did not put too much pressure on the athletes. We only gave the initial target of passing the qualifying round. This will reduce the burden of achievement for the coaching staff, as well as the players.

In fact, every team that competes wants to have achievements. Especially U17 is the "opening" team and creates motivation for the following U teams to aim for. However, it must be based on the strength of each age group, each year and above all, football never predicts anything. I hope that the players will try their best for the flag and the shirt. In
past battles, theyI see that this year's generation is playing quite steadily and I expect them to achieve high results.

PV: How do you rate the quality of the players of U17 Song Lam Nghe An?

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:The strength of U17 Song Lam Nghe An this year is relatively good. In addition, we have added some outstanding players in the U15 team (the team that just won the 2022 National U15 Championship). We ask the coaching staff to find a way to harmoniously combine these two classes of athletes, thereby creating a cohesive team.

LIVEIn the past matches in the group stage, I assessed that the U17 Song Lam Nghe An team had quite even professional quality. However, in some matches, at some times, there were still students who could not show their full potential, but I think they tried very hard to bring a team with high fighting spirit.

There are two more matches in the qualifying round, I hope you will maintain your form and achieve the best results in the final round.

PV: Through the matches in the group stage, U17 Song Lam Nghe An has shown quite convincing playing style. So what do you think is the reason for this success?

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:I find the U17 Song Lam Nghe An team's playing style quite flexible. The coaching staff relies on specific factors in each match to come up with suitable tactics. For example, when Le Dinh Long Vu is present, the team will play a different style of play than when he is not on the field. And above all, the team has brought effective matches and dedicated play.

Le Dinh Long Vu scored a goal in the match against U17 Hanoi. Photo: Sy Hieu

In addition, the coaching staff also has different tactics and strategies when facing each specific opponent. For example, when facing a weak team, U17 Song Lam Nghe An will use an attacking scheme and actively pressure the opponent to quickly gain an advantage. When facing a stronger opponent, U17 Song Lam will arrange suitable personnel and organize a tight playing style, not creating any gaps for the opponent to have a chance to score.

I am satisfied with the performance of the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players in the recent matches.Hopefully in the final round, the team will deploy more diverse gameplay, to have more beautiful matches, dedicated to the fans.

Coaching staff of U17 Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Sy Hieu

PV: So U17 Song Lam Nghe An has passed the 2023 National U17 qualifying round. So what are your wishes for the team when competing in the final round?

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:It is not yet possible to determine all the teams participating in the final round, but through the matches in the qualifying round, it can be seen that teams such as PVF, Viettel, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Dong Thap... are strong teams. In particular, the two leading youth football training centers in Vietnam, PVF and Viettel, have shown their superior strength. These two teams have an even force, highly organized playing style, it will be very difficult to defeat them. I hope that the U17 Song Lam Nghe An players will temporarily forget the recent victories, keep their feet on the ground and practice harder to aim for good results in this year's tournament.

With our current strength, I hope the team will focus on playing each match, determined to reach the semi-finals and then we will consider the next step.

PV:Thank you for this conversation.

Duc Anh