SLNA meets "nemesis" Hai Phong
(Baonghean.vn) - Up to now, Hai Phong and Hanoi are the two teams that are SLNA's "enemies". Playing on Hai Phong's field, the Nghe An team only drew and lost. In 13 meetings, only once did SLNA leave Lach Tray with 3 points. This meeting, if they get 1 point, it will be considered a victory for coach Duc Thang and his team.
Hai Phong's style of play is quite simple, they defend in large numbers under the command of imported central defender Le Van Phu. The ball is passed up to the two foreign players Fagan and Stevens. The midfielder Vuong Quoc Trung - originally from Nghe An - is in charge of the midfield.
V-League teams know this, but not all teams can neutralize the style of play of the Hai Phong team, especially when their physical condition is not guaranteed. Many times Ngoc Hai and his teammates lost in frustration at the end of the match when they continuously faced both Fagan and Stevens at a high level and were pressured and overwhelmed by the two foreign players.
Hai Phong, the turning point of SLNA
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| SLNA won the first leg 1-0. Photo: Archive |
It can be said that in a dangerous situation, continuously drawing and losing, the 1-0 victory over Hai Phong at Vinh Stadium in the 13th round is considered an important turning point of the season. The victory helped SLNA players gain confidence and have 3 more victories, all at Vinh Stadium - setting a record of 4 consecutive wins at home. More importantly, they have significantly improved their position on the rankings, temporarily leaving the red light zone far behind.
In the past 3 years, SLNA has been empty-handed against Hai Phong at Vinh Stadium. Now, they have a point, giving Nghe An players even more confidence that no one is unbeatable even when playing at Lach Tray Stadium, especially when the home team at Hai Phong Stadium will not have the service of midfielder Quoc Trung because he received 3 yellow cards.
Meanwhile, SLNA has the best players and "introduced" foreign player Jeremie. Most likely, Van Binh will play alongside Khac Ngoc in the midfield, facing midfielder Thanh Long - a young player on loan from HAGL who is playing quite well.
New Faces
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| Center back Adriano Schmidt is the new recruit of Hai Phong. Photo: Internet |
The home team's most notable player is the center back.Adriano Schmidt - a player who played for the youth teams of Augsburg and Ingolstadt. This player has a relatively impressive physique as he is 1m85 tall.
In the match against Quang Nam, Schmidt played quite well, especially in the attacking situations when Hai Phong was given corner kicks and set pieces. Compared to Van Phu, Schmidt is "thinner" so he does not have the advantage in situations where he is pressing the opponent's strikers, on the contrary, the mobility of this Vietnamese-American central defender is much better.
Hai Phong has just borrowed midfielder Thanh Phong (25 years old) from SLNA to strengthen the midfield. It is very likely that Dau Thanh Phong will be able to enter the field when Quoc Trung is not playing, but perhaps the player will only enter the field from the bench.
With SLNA, despite the presence of Van Binh and foreign player Jeremie, SLNA's coaching staff still uses the style of play that has helped them win 4 consecutive matches recently. Accordingly, Tuan Tai is still the main player in the "no striker" style of play in the 4-6-0 formation. Khac Ngoc is increasingly compatible with Van Duc and Tuan Tai in the style of play that uses a lot of through passes.
Perhaps, when Van Binh appeared, Olaha was relieved of his defensive duties and played higher. The return of Ngoc Hai - one of the best "anti-Western" central defenders in the V-League today helped SLNA's coaching staff feel more secure.
During the V-League 2018 period, which is quite dense, the weather is hot, and physical strength is an important issue. In addition to the need to make reasonable substitutions in defensive positions, it is possible that in this match, when it is necessary to put pressure to find a win, SLNA will return to the 4-4-2 formation with 2 foreign players Olaha and Jeremie. At that time, Tuan Tai will be replaced and most likely Xuan Thang or Xuan Toan, who play as wingers, will be allowed to enter the field. SLNA will use the home team Hai Phong's own playing style to fight against the home team Hai Phong.
For SLNA, if they can get 1 point at Lach Tray Stadium, it will be a victory. They need to ensure the number of players, especially Xuan Manh's position before the match with Nam Dinh at Thien Truong Stadium next round.
