SLNA-FLC Thanh Hoa: Building momentum from the derby match.

(Baonghean.vn) - SLNA's biggest goal is the National Cup, and they have already gained an advantage in the first leg with a 2-1 victory at Go Dau Stadium.The derby match against FLC Thanh Hoa will be a warm-up for the final, an opportunity to lift the 38th Cup right on Vinh Stadium.

In the 2017 V-League season, SLNA has secured 8th place in the standings, one position higher than last season, but they still have the task of winning the 2017 National Cup. To boost the morale of their players going into the decisive match, SLNA must at least avoid defeat against FLC Thanh Hoa in the final game of the season.

For FLC Thanh Hoa, they had already squandered their chance after several slip-ups from the championship trophy, a title they seemed to have secured after the first half of the season. However, their 2-0 victory against the coastal team in Thanh Hoa has given coach Petrovic a chance to be considered a title contender.

The unfavorable head-to-head record means that Pape and his teammates' determination to win is only a necessary condition; a sufficient condition is that Hanoi and Quang Nam fail to secure 3 points for FLC Thanh Hoa to win the championship. Coach Petrovic's team arrived in Vinh to play with a "fight to the last" attitude, determined to get 3 points and waiting for news from Cam Pha and Tam Ky.

The guest is stronger than the host.

Last season's 6th-place finish didn't seem to satisfy the FLC Thanh Hoa management, so they poured money into investing in both foreign coaches and experienced players. Besides the two best foreign players in Vietnamese football, Pape Omar Faye and Uche Iheruome, FLC Thanh Hoa also brought in the formidable attacking trio from Nghe An (Van Binh, Trong Hoang, Hoang Thinh) along with defender Dinh Dong.

The FLC Thanh Hoa duo of foreign players are currently leading the V-League scoring charts. Photo: AT

Even now, former national team players like Dinh Tung and Hoang Thinh are still on the bench, which shows just how abundant the Thanh Hoa team's resources are. In fact, at one point they were 7 points ahead of the second-placed team, but crucial slip-ups at the end of the season cost them their control over their own destiny.

Arriving at Vinh Stadium, FLC's foreign duo Pape and Uche are in top form, having just scored together in the 2-0 victory against S. Khanh Hoa. This season, the formidable attacking duo of Pape and Uche have scored 23 goals, becoming the best foreign pair in the V-League this season, accounting for over 50% of FLC Thanh Hoa's goals.

Striker Van Thang has also scored 8 goals this season, one more than Phi Son, SLNA's top scorer. To secure a victory, coach Petrovic will certainly field a 4-3-3 formation with three attacking forwards: Pape Omar Faye, Uche Iheruome, and Le Van Thang, who has scored 31 out of 43 goals this season.

Providing ammunition for the attack are midfielders Trong Hoang, Van Binh, and Mai Tien Thanh - all of whom have spent many years competing in Vietnamese football and are among the best players in V-League 2017. They possess good physical fitness and individual technique, as well as tenacious and cunning play.

The two players from Nghe An, Trong Hoang and Van Binh, also possess the ability to score goals, take free kicks, and confidently make individual breakthroughs. When things are deadlocked, coach Petrovic can bring on Hoang Thinh, The Duong, and Thanh Binh to create a breakthrough.

The goal has points.

Aiming for points and building momentum for the match against B.Binh Duong is probably a more feasible option for SLNA. Because if they get caught up in a fast-paced, aggressive style of play, they may not necessarily get 3 points, and even if they win, it won't improve their ranking.

FLC Thanh Hóa's chances of winning the championship are only 15%.

In the match against XSKT.Can Tho, Khac Ngoc was not in the starting lineup, and Ngoc Toan was suspended, allowing them to conserve their energy for the remaining two matches of the season. To earn points, the central defensive pair of Van Khanh and Ngoc Hai must not underestimate the foreign duo of Pape and Uche, who are skilled in physical challenges, strong in aerial duels, and possess extremely powerful long-range shots.

The three players Olaha, Khắc Ngọc, and Ngọc Toàn will have a day of wide movement, actively contesting for the ball from afar, and pressing senior players Văn Bình and Trọng Hoàng to cut off communication with the attacking line. Foreign player Olaha will certainly have to drop back, even very deep, to win the ball back in the area in front of the 16.5m box.

FLC Thanh Hoa's aerial weakness has been exploited quite well by V-League teams, who all play slowly, keeping possession for as long as possible. Teams like Hanoi, Than Quang Ninh, and most recently B. Binh Duong have employed excellent tactics to secure favorable results against Coach Petrovic's team.

In a situation where they absolutely needed three points, FLC Thanh Hoa had to concentrate their forces on attacking, which created openings for Van Duc, Phuc Tinh, and Phi Son.

AT