What does SLNA need to do to end their goal drought?

Following Quang Tình's goal in the 90+1 minute at Hoa Xuan Stadium, SLNA's strikers have gone three consecutive matches without scoring. Of their three opponents, only Hai Phong is in the top half of the table, while Nam Dinh and newcomer Viettel are both considered significantly weaker. SLNA's attack is currently considered weak in the V.League, only better than Viettel and on par with S. Khanh Hoa.

Attacking threat

Xuan Manh partnering with Olaha in attack is not a bad solution. Photo: VPF

To be fair, apart from the goalless draw against visiting team Nam Dinh, earning 2 points away from Vinh Stadium for Coach Duc Thang's team is not a bad result. However, with only 3 points earned in 3 consecutive matches and no goals scored, SLNA's current form is only better than S. Khanh Hoa (lost all 3 matches), Quang Nam (2 losses, 1 draw) and Nam Dinh (2 draws, 1 loss), which are the teams at the bottom of the standings.

In the match at Lach Tray Stadium, coach Duc Thang boldly benched Van Binh, bringing on Phuc Tinh to replace Alves Santos, and moving The Nhat to left back. Using wingers Xuan Manh and Cao Xuan Thang instead of Quang Tinh and Le The Cuong was seen as a way to refresh the team's wing play. This revamped lineup aimed to ensure they didn't lose, rather than simply securing three points.

Fans familiar with the Nghe An team believe these are positive changes made by the SLNA coaching staff when facing an opponent with a rather difficult playing style. Coach Duc Thang selected the players with the best physical condition to play, while midfielder Van Binh, who has played 700/720 minutes for the Nghe An team in this match, was not registered to play.

In fact, the central midfield pairing of Khac Ngoc and Ngoc Toan played quite well in this match. They effectively isolated Lam Quy and Hoang Nam, preventing them from combining with Jermie Lynch, Mpande, and Fagan. Clearly, with his superior fitness, Cao Xuan Thang also provided better support to Dinh Hoang in defense, as coach Truong Viet Hoang chose that as the main attacking direction.

Standing on the sidelines, coach Duc Thang clearly saw that Olaha was too isolated in the center forward role, with Xuan Thang, Xuan Manh, and Phuc Tinh dropping too deep. Center-backs Van Hanh and A. Schmidt had no difficulty neutralizing the attacks of the Nghe An team. SLNA's attacking pressure was negligible; their thin squad meant the home team didn't face many difficulties, except for Khac Ngoc's free-kick that Xuan Manh headed against the post.

Temporary solution

Olaha is isolated in the attacking line. Photo: VPF

Bringing The Cuong on to replace Phuc Tinh and pushing Xuan Manh up to play as a striker alongside Olaha was a temporary solution considered creative in the tactical approach. With the attacking options at Coach Duc Thang's disposal lacking the necessary dynamism and creativity, the presence of Xuan Manh, who is primarily a winger (playing both as a midfielder and a defender), was noteworthy. In fact, of the three shots on target throughout the match, Xuan Manh's header that hit the post was the most dangerous.

Having just returned from injury, playing on a rough pitch, and facing a very tricky opponent who frequently committed fouls meant Xuan Manh didn't have many attacking opportunities to his full potential. But even so, it was enough for Xuan Manh to be the best player in SLNA's attack, despite not scoring a goal.

Returning home to face S. Khánh Hòa, who are in terrible form, having lost three consecutive matches. The visiting team's defense has conceded 19 goals, and the only team that hasn't scored against them is…Hanoi. This is a good opportunity for SLNA to experiment with various attacking options, and Xuân Mạnh partnering Olaha in attack is a promising solution.

Pham Xuan Manh was unable to help SLNA defeat Hai Phong.

(Baonghean.vn) - The match at Lach Tray between Hai Phong and Song Lam Nghe An was evenly balanced. Throughout the 90 minutes, the most dangerous moment came from an aerial duel by Xuan Manh.