Can SLNA 'erase the curse' of losing matches at Thien Truong Stadium?

The Nghe An team often has difficulty when facing a team that plays with a large number of defenders, with foreign players playing independently and capable of scoring goals. This season, Nam Dinh has even more difficulty when in the 4-man defense, there is central defender Pham Manh Hung, who has played for Song Lam Nghe An for many years, and plays very cunningly. Many players have received cards when colliding with Pham Manh Hung, recently Duong Van Khoa "fell into the trap" and received a red card just 1 minute after entering the field.

Home team's shot

A common image on the “fire pan” of Thien Truong. Photo: SLFC

Nam Dinh's playing style is energetic, the players from Thanh Nam play very tough, not afraid of collision. With the advantage of playing 3 foreign players with the captain, naturalized player Tran Trung Hieu is required by coach Van Sy to move a lot, racing for speed in long balls. In the 4-2-3-1 formation, Fagan and new player wearing the number 80 shirt Victor Nabay Mansaray both understand Song Lam Nghe An's playing style. Playing with 3 central defenders, the burden of the defense falls on Que Ngoc Hai's shoulders when both Ba Sang and The Nhat have not shown the expected solidity.

In the 2019 season, Mansaray, who was playing for Ho Chi Minh City, scored a goal against the Nghe An team at Vinh Stadium. Last year, the American player scored against the home team Hanoi in a 2-1 win. The fact that in his first time playing for Nam Dinh, this striker scored against Ho Chi Minh City shows that Que Ngoc Hai cannot ignore this "killer".

The Jamaican midfielder used to play for Song Lam Nghe An and has spent many years in the V.League, so he is no stranger to the visitors' defense. At 35, Fagan is no longer as fit as before, but this is still a danger that Xuan Manh needs to pay attention to. The attacking triangle of Fagan, Mansaray, Xuan Tan always moves flexibly, not to mention Mai Xuan Quyet and Thanh Truong still have high crosses to find the head of the new American player.

Some faces of the host

Uncompromising battle at Thien Truong Stadium. Photo: SLFC

Naturalized Ugandan player Tran Trung Hieu is the "bulldozer" of Thien Truong Stadium. Geoffrey Kizito came to Vietnam to play football in 2012, the first team of this midfielder was Sai Gon Xuan Thanh. In 2017, he was naturalized and signed a 10-year contract with Than Quang Ninh, when the team was dissolved, he wandered to Thien Truong Stadium. This is a player who plays energetically, not afraid of collisions, so players Xuan Manh and Dinh Hoang need to play calmly to avoid injuries.

In addition to Trung Hieu, Xuan Tan is also a player who plays with passion and determination. In recent matches, Dinh Hoang and Van Viet have tackled the ball with both feet, and have been warned by the referee and even received yellow cards. Playing away from home, Song Lam Nghe An players need to have a cool head to avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble. It is likely that the away team will introduce a new foreign player in the context that Olaha is still banned from playing.

After 5 matches, the home team Nam Dinh has only lost 1 match at Thien Truong Stadium, so the upcoming match will not be an easy one for the away team Song Lam Nghe An. They must calculate not to concede a goal before thinking about winning in a famous V.League "fire pan" that is "easy to go, hard to return".