SLNA lost 'according to procedure'

(Baonghean.vn) - The defeat of SLNA players against SHB. Da Nang has made many Nghe An fans once again feel disappointed with the performance of their team. However, if we look at and evaluate thoroughly, that defeat is actually quite understandable.

Losing is normal

In football, winning and losing is normal. A team that has been invincible for a long time suddenly loses all the time. Surely everyone has not forgotten Barcelona's 39-match unbeaten streak last season. With their current destructive form, few expected this team to be defeated by Zidane's rival Real Madrid. Not to mention, at the beginning of V.League 2016, Hai Phong set a record with 8 unbeaten matches, and had to sadly leave Hang Day of HN.T&T, a team that is going through a crisis in form. Therefore, SLNA's defeat after 3 consecutive wins is not a big deal.

Lost due to lack of breath and team chaos

The SLNA squad that took the field against the Song Han team had an average age of only 23. With such an age, it is difficult for coach Ngo Quang Truong's players to maintain their physical strength at high intensity after the recent series of matches. Knowing how to distribute strength properly is a luxury for young players. In the final minutes of the matches against HN.T&T, HAGL, Long An... most of the Nghe An players were visibly exhausted.

Phi Son had to endure the pain to compete because SLNA was having difficulty with its personnel. Photo: Archive.

In recent matches, many positions of SLNA had to work hard continuously, notably Phi Son, Nguyen Manh, Baba... who rarely got to rest. Even Phi Son had to endure pain to play, just because Mr. Truong had no better option than the player from Ha Tinh. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Nghe An players "suddenly" played with less enthusiasm.

In addition, injuries and penalty cards are plaguing the Vinh team. The "long-term leave" of Minh Duc, Dinh Hoang, and then Manh Hung has caused great turmoil in the Nghe An team's lineup. The defensive positions have been changing constantly since the beginning of the tournament, just a "last resort" decision by coach Ngo Quang Truong. Sometimes this player plays badly, sometimes another player who is playing well gets injured or suspended.

A few internal training sessions are not enough for those changes to find a common voice on the field in official matches. It is clear to see the misunderstandings between the central defender pair Ngoc Hai - Van Khanh in the match against SHB.Da Nang, of which the most typical is the first goal conceded when Edison rushed into the penalty area as if there was no one there to defeat goalkeeper Nguyen Manh.

It was the injuries of Minh Duc, Dinh Hoang, Manh Hung and the suspension that Vo Ngoc Duc received that forced The Nhat and Xuan Manh to play in positions that were not their forte. Of course, those "substitutes" had a less than satisfactory match, which did not really surprise experts and many SLNA fans. Both The Nhat and Xuan Manh, who had rarely played on the field, now had to play in somewhat unfamiliar positions, so the results were not as expected.

SLNA has never won a comeback this season.

Up to the 21st round, Coach Ngo Quang Truong's students have only scored twice when the opponent opened the score. The first time was the 3-3 draw with QNK. Quang Nam, after letting the Quang Nam team score with a goal from striker Felix in the 24th minute. The second time was the 1-1 draw at Chi Lang Stadium with SHB. Da Nang, Odat equalized after letting the home team's midfielder Minh Tam score early in the second half. That said, SLNA's ability to come back this season is extremely poor. Therefore, after the unexpected loss of the ball right in front of the home team's penalty area leading to a goal from Eydison's shot, the Nghe An players clearly revealed their inherent weaknesses. Ultimately, it stemmed from the immaturity of the young players of the Vinh Stadium team.

Coach Le Huynh Duc is more "weird"

This is the 9th season that the former Vietnam national team striker has been the head coach at the V.League. So in terms of strangeness, Le Huynh Duc is clearly superior to coach Ngo Quang Truong (only his 2nd year in charge at the V.League). The fact that he put the team on the field with some changes has somewhat created a surprise not only for SLNA, but also for experts. The names that are not very good at one-on-one competition such as Nguyen Sa, Thanh Hai, Quoc Anh were kept on the bench by Mr. Duc, instead, experienced players and good at one-on-one competition such as Phuoc Vinh, Vu Phong, Duy Lam were on the field from the start. It was this change that made the midfield of the Han River team appear stronger, putting the home team in a passive position. Two quick goals conceded after counter-attacks by Edison and Merlo exposed the disorientation of coach Ngo Quang Truong's students. All of this has proven the skill of coach Le Huynh Duc.

Not to mention, for a long time, this strategist has continuously attacked the Nghe An players for their rather tough playing style when meeting SHB. Da Nang. The peak of that attack was the difficult situation of the Song Han team in the collision between Que Ngoc Hai and Anh Khoa. That psychological warfare had a significant impact on the determination of Mr. Ngo Quang Truong's students in the recent match. Carefully observing the match on Vinh Stadium in round 21, the Song Han players were the ones who played more passionately than Ngoc Hai and his teammates. Never before have people seen a gentle SLNA team so weak when playing against SHB. Da Nang like in the recent match.

In short, Coach Le Huynh Duc is one of the current V.League's monsters, not just Coach Ngo Quang Truong.

Conclude

There is a saying: “fall where you stand up there”, the defeat against SHB. Da Nang has also happened. Hopefully, Coach Ngo Quang Truong and SLNA players will learn useful lessons from this match. V.League 2016 has 5 more rounds, Nghe An fans are waiting for SLNA to make amends, starting with the away match at Cao Lanh Stadium.

Thanh Hung