SLNA enters the semi-finals of the 2018 National Cup: Reasonable decision of the leadership
(Baonghean.vn) - Defeating SHB Da Nang with a total score of 5 - 1 after 2 matches in the quarter-finals, the Nghe An team has officially won a ticket to play in the round of 4 strongest teams. The opportunity to defend the National Cup championship is wide open for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team.
Most football fans believe that SLNA will not put all their efforts into the 2018 National Cup, after quenching their thirst for titles last season. Furthermore, the inability to advance far in the 2018 AFC Cup and the poor performance in the 2018 V.League, along with the injury problem that has been raging at Vinh Stadium for a long time, has made the leadership of the Nghe An team not very interested in the National Cup.
Even when Van Duc and his teammates overcame the potential and ambitious team Ho Chi Minh City in the quarter-finals (winning 2-0), not many people believed that coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team were really serious about the tournament, which has long been neglected by many Vietnamese teams. Indeed, since the beginning of the 2018 season, SLNA's leadership has not once mentioned the team's goal in the National Cup.
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| SLNA is facing a great opportunity to successfully defend the National Cup championship. Photo: Document |
Normally, football teams in Vietnam would choose to give up the National Cup early to focus on the most important arena, the V.League, when in a similar situation as SLNA. However, coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team did not follow the familiar path. The Nghe An team still competed in the 2018 National Cup as if this was their most important arena.
Despite being stuck in the “red light” group on the V.League 2018 rankings (currently ranked 13th), despite the injury problem that is raging fiercely at Vinh Stadium, SLNA still took the field with the strongest possible lineup in the confrontations with Ho Chi Minh City in the round of 16 and the 2 quarter-final matches with SHB Da Nang. Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc, Van Duc, Olaha… still had to play.
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| Many players, including Van Duc, shone in the match against Da Nang at Vinh Stadium in the National Cup. Photo: Duc Anh |
Thus, SLNA's leadership has quietly set a goal of successfully defending the National Cup championship for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team. At first glance, this seems like a somewhat risky decision by the leaders of the Nghe An team. However, if considered carefully, this is a completely reasonable decision. That means SLNA has enough strength and confidence to escape the danger in the V.League arena.
The first leg of the 2018 National Cup semi-final between FLC Thanh Hoa and SLNA will not take place until September 1. From now until then, the Nghe An team will be free to accelerate in the V.League without being affected by advancing deep into the National Cup. They will have the opportunity to defend the championship title won last season, score points with Nghe An fans and create a mental boost for the players to compete better in the V.League in the future.
It is not yet known whether SLNA will achieve positive results in V.League 2018 and successfully defend the 2018 National Cup championship, but at this time, experts and fans of Nghe An all agree with the decision of SLNA's leadership./.
