SLNA trains its squad at the start of the new year.

(Baonghean) - On February 24th, after the Lunar New Year holiday, SLNA players returned to training and held their first training session of the new year. During the first training session of the year, the coaching staff gave the players light exercises including ball juggling and running laps around the field.

Speaking with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper, Coach Ngo Quang Truong said: Currently, the V.League is on a break for more than a month to allow the U23 national team to focus on training in preparation for the 2016 U23 Asian Championship qualifiers in Malaysia. Therefore, SLNA will only play their ninth match against Hoang Anh Gia Lai at Vinh Stadium on April 12, 2015. During the U23 Vietnam national team training camp, SLNA has four players called up by head coach Miura: Ho Phuc Tinh, Ho Tuan Tai, Que Ngoc Hai, and Pham Manh Hung.

On the morning of February 24th, these players traveled to Hanoi to join the national team. Despite the absence of four key players called up to the squad and foreign player Abubakar requesting to arrive late, the coaching staff decided to hold a serious training session to preserve the players' fitness.

SLNA players train to kick off the new year.

Despite the long Tet holiday break of nearly 10 days, the SLNA players were very enthusiastic and trained seriously in their first training session. Spectators watching the training session said that during SLNA's training sessions, player Bosma showed great agility and skillful technique, but in the past 8 rounds, the striker hasn't shown much on the field, mostly warming the bench. Therefore, he decided not to return home for the long Tet holiday but to stay and train, hoping to find a regular starting position in the near future.

To further energize the players, head coach Quang Trường and assistant goalkeeper Đức Thắng also joined the players in running laps around the field. In one corner of the field, while his teammates rested after their physical training laps, goalkeeper Đức Cường (who has consistently served as a backup for "Spider-Man" Nguyên Mạnh in recent rounds) was diligently practicing ball juggling to improve his ball-handling skills with his feet. In keeping with the training atmosphere of the SLNA first team, referees Duy Khánh and Hoàng Anh from Nghệ An, who officiate in the V.League and the National First Division, were also diligently training their physical fitness with laps around the Vinh stadium. These two referees stated that to meet the increasingly high demands of the VFF, physical fitness is crucial for referees. Without good health, it's difficult to keep up with the fast-paced situations that occur during matches.

When asked about SLNA's upcoming plans, coach Quang Trường said: "In the next month or so, since we won't be participating in any tournaments, SLNA will focus on improving the players' physical fitness and practicing tactics and techniques to ensure better coordination between young players and foreign players. Regarding the squad, there will be no changes after this break."

Currently, SLNA has 14 points after 8 rounds and is ranked 6th in the standings. In the recent rounds, the young SLNA players have had impressive performances, however, the form of the players from Nghe An remains inconsistent and the foreign players' performance is still erratic.

As the oldest player in SLNA currently and in excellent form, making significant contributions to the team's unexpected victories in recent rounds, captain Quang Tinh stated: "Achieving these results is the result of a great effort from the entire SLNA team. This season, SLNA has experienced significant personnel changes, with many young players making their debut in the V.League. With our current squad, we are determined to give our all in every match to achieve the best possible results." According to Captain Quang Tinh, B.Binh Duong remains SLNA's most formidable opponent in the V.League. However, to compete for medals this season, the SLNA management should consider adding more high-quality foreign players to support the young players.

Text and photos:Duc Dung