SHB Da Nang - SLNA: Right-back of the away team, who is he?

With Nguyen Sy Nam not yet 100% fit and having to stay in Vinh city to recuperate, in handCoach Ngo Quang TruongThere are only 3 faces left who used to play in the right-back position. Besides "veteran" Tran Dinh Dong, there are also Ho Sy Sam and Pham The Nhat.

Pham Xuan Manh (number 7) was not allowed to play in the match against SHB Da Nang due to a card penalty. Photo: Ba Tuan

However, most likely, Ho Sy Sam will continue to be used by the SLNA coaching staff in his familiar position as a central midfielder as in recent matches. Therefore, it is almost certain that Tran Dinh Dong or Pham The Nhat will be the one to take on the right-back position of SLNA in the away match against SHB Da Nang, taking place this afternoon, March 23.

In many aspects, Tran Dinh Dong is the most likely option to "replace" Pham Xuan Manh. Because in the past, the right-back position was held by Tran Dinh Dong, who also played for Thanh Hoa (2016 - 2018) and the Vietnam National Team (2016).

Pham The Nhat is ready to replace his junior Pham Xuan Manh. Photo courtesy

Don’t forget, last season, Tran Dinh Dong was also assigned the position of right-back by the SLNA coaching staff in a number of matches. In general, every time he was assigned this position, Tran Dinh Dong made the team’s coaching staff feel quite secure.

If Tran Dinh Dong is moved to the right-back position, coach Ngo Quang Truong will have to use Vo Ngoc Duc or Mai Sy Hoang as the left-back position, the two aforementioned faces' strong points. It is worth mentioning that since the beginning of the season, Mai Sy Hoang and Vo Ngoc Duc have not had the best preparation for their first start.

According to statistics, Mai Sy Hoang has only been on the field for 1 minute, and Vo Ngoc Duc has not played a single minute. Ball feeling is what they are lacking. It is difficult for the SLNA coaching staff to dare to risk giving them a key position in a very important match.

Therefore, it is very likely that Coach Ngo Quang Truong will choose the safest option, which is to assign the right-back position to Pham The Nhat, one of the most experienced players in SLNA at present. Moreover, the right-back position is also undeniably unfamiliar to the player born in 1991.

Previously, in the U19 Vietnam and SLNA jerseys, Pham The Nhat was often arranged to play in the right wing position when Nguyen Sy Nam, Pham Xuan Manh... could not play. Objectively, Pham The Nhat always played at a fair level. Notably, the 30-year-old player was used by coach Ngo Quang Truong for 251 minutes in the first 4 matches of SLNA this season.

It seems that using Pham The Nhat as a right-back is the most feasible option for the SLNA coaching staff in the away match against SHB Da Nang. Hopefully, Pham The Nhat will not disappoint the SLNA coaching staff and Nghe An football fans./.