SLNA is not afraid of anything, just afraid of... the West
(Baonghean.vn) - Since becoming professional, SLNA has been considered to have a "good hand" in signing contracts with foreign players. However, it is worth mentioning that gradually, teams with plenty of money have dominated the player transfer market, causing poor teams like SLNA to fall into a position of chasing and losing.
Many people know and always believe that SLNA always produces quality players in all lines, including defense, especially the center-back position. Huy Hoang, Que Ngoc Hai... are not only pillars in the club but also in the national team. However, SLNA still faces countless difficulties when facing clubs that "acquire" "huge" foreign players, not only 3 players on the field but also a naturalized foreign player.
The last 15 minutes of the match are always a mind-boggling challenge for the defense and the whole team. Even if Huy Hoang sticks to the ball, jumps as far as he can, even if Ngoc Hai is a “foreigner catching expert”, everything will be quickly settled whenever Achilefu (Nam Dinh) or Samson (Ha Noi T&T) have a chance and they will win with a high jump to head the ball or a super stretch to handle the ball neatly.
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| SLNA's B team includes foreign players such as Peter, Gustavo and Soseh. Photo courtesy of Xuan Thuy |
That is why SLNA has had to pay attention to foreign central defenders over the past time, from Alphonse (2005-2006), Memovic (2019) or now Santos (2020).
Obviously, a quality foreign central defender will help SLNA's defense deal with high-ball situations, life-or-death races, and countless other situations that require strength, endurance, and concentration throughout the match.
But when the position of the goalkeeper is resolved, SLNA will have to accept the lack of a position in the midfield or in the front line depending on the team's strength.
If they can sign contracts with quality players like Kyembe (scored in the first match at Hang Day Stadium), Batambuze, Hector… playing explosively in the midfield, or like the loyal Olaha recently, then there is no need to discuss further. SLNA’s eternal problem is “you get what you pay for”, many foreign players have had to pack their bags and leave the team early because they do not meet the requirements, and most of them are “rough diamonds”, after integrating with SLNA, being refined and polished, the next season, the team itself is not able to meet their financial requirements. And the team has to struggle to find new factors, new potential like a tired, weak circle.
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| Internal competition right on the artificial turf field of SLNA football team headquarters. Photo courtesy of Xuan Thuy |
It is known that generations of SLNA players always enter the match with full colors, but the fact that they have been out of the top 3 of V. Laegue for a long time shows the team's real "exhaustion". Although there are many talented domestic players, it is clear that the lack of quality foreign players has caused the team to lose many times when they thought they were going to win but lost at the last minute, many times when they conceded goals "everyone understands, only... the scoreboard is incomprehensible"...
So there is the idea that, for a long time, SLNA has been "not afraid of anything, just afraid of...Westerners"!
