Quang Nam - SLNA: Opportunity divided in two?

(Baonghean.vn) - At 5:00 p.m. on June 28 at Tam Ky Stadium, Hoang Van Phuc and his team will welcome guests from Vinh City in the 15th round of V.League 2017. Will the Quang Nam team extend their unbeaten streak against their opponents to 4 or will SLNA successfully collect the debt that the home team owed in the first leg?

The visitors' revenge

More than 4 months have passed since Quang Nam unexpectedly defeated SLNA right at Vinh Stadium with an unbelievable comeback. The players, the coaching staff and the fans of Nghe An still cannot forget that "horrifying" afternoon. It took only 37 minutes for Henry and The Cuong to put the home team ahead after continuous attacks, with the game tilted towards SLNA players.

Entering the break between the two halves, few people believed that Quang Nam still had a chance to score points. It is true that football is unpredictable, because everything can still happen in the "craziest" scenario. Unlike what happened in the first half, the second 45 minutes witnessed a dizzying change in the game. SLNA had to receive 4 consecutive goals quite easily, watching the away team leave Nghe An with 3 full points.

SLNA players protested the decision not to penalize Thiago for his foul on goalkeeper Nguyen Manh. Photo: Internet

There is no denying the mistake of referee Nguyen Trung Kien B (Nguyen Manh was fouled by Thiago leading to Claudecir's goal to increase the score to 3 - 2 in the 72nd minute), but the main reason for SLNA's defeat was the lack of concentration, superficiality and subjectivity of the home team's players. The loss to Quang Nam created a wave of criticism from Nghe An fans for Nguyen Manh and his teammates.

In the upcoming rematch, SLNA will not have many major changes in terms of force except for striker Henry - who scored the opening goal in the first leg, who is no longer present at Vinh Stadium. Certainly in the match against Quang Nam in this round 15, the Nghe An team will only field Olaha as a foreign player. The highest position in SLNA's attack will be taken by young player Phuc Tinh.

The trio Van Khanh - Sy Nam - Van Vinh have returned after suspension, helping coach Nguyen Duc Thang have more options for each position. Besides, Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc, Olaha... are in quite good form, which is also a favorable condition for SLNA to be more confident in the competition at Tam Ky stadium.

The disappointment from the draw against Than Quang Ninh will be left behind, giving way to the desire for revenge against the Quang Nam team.

The homeowner is on the rise

The 3-0 victory in the away match against the tough Sanna Khanh Hoa team was the 4th consecutive time in the past month that Hoang Van Phuc and his team played the role of the winner. Excited spirit and brilliant performance are what exist in the Quang Nam team. Objectively speaking, it is Quang Nam and no other name that is the "dark horse" in V.League 2017.

Looking at the names that Thanh Trung and his teammates have defeated up to this point, it is enough to understand how dangerous the Tam Ky home team is. Hanoi FC, Than Quang Ninh, B.Binh Duong... are the teams that have had to taste defeat against the team led by coach Hoang Van Phuc. The achievement of ranking 3rd on the rankings with 23 points after 14 rounds, does not come from pure luck.

The squad that coach Hoang Van Phuc is holding is highly appreciated for both talent and experience. Some typical faces include Vietnam national team captain Thanh Trung, former U23 Vietnam player Thanh Hung and 3 foreign players Thiago, Claudecir and Dai Duong (naturalized)... creating a cohesive and passionate team.

Striker Claudecir (in white) scored a double against SLNA in the first leg match between the two teams. Photo: Internet

Hosting SLNA at home is a big advantage for the Quang Nam team. In the 6 matches played at the "holy land" Tam Ky in the first phase of V.League 2017, coach Hoang Van Phuc and his team were undefeated (2 wins, 4 draws). Obviously, meeting an opponent of equal strength like SLNA will be an opportunity for Quang Nam to extend their winning streak to 5 matches. Remember, in the second leg of last season, SLNA was also crushed by Quang Nam with 2 goals to nil.

From home advantage, head-to-head record in the last 3 matches and 2 more foreign players, the Quang Nam team is theoretically better than Nguyen Duc Thang and his team. Victory is not easy for the home team Tam Ky, but 1 point is within reach of Thanh Trung and his teammates./.

Thanh Hung