SLNA vs FLC Thanh Hoa: A slim chance for the away team!

In the first leg on July 25, FLC Thanh Hoa lost to SLNA with a score of 2-3. To win a ticket to the final, the goal of Hoang Dinh Tung and his teammates is to win with a score of no less than 3-2. According to the away-home goal rule, the Thanh team will win the right to continue if they defeat SLNA with a difference of 2 goals or more, or with a score of 3-2 (will go to penalty shootout), 4-3, 5-4, 6-5...

SLNA players celebrate their goal against FLC Thanh Hoa in the first leg of the semi-final. Photo: Internet.

In all aspects, FLC Thanh Hoa’s chances of winning against SLNA in this match are quite small. First is the field factor. Up to now, Vinh Stadium has always been a “less good, more bad” land for the Thanh team.

Statistics show that in 8 trips to the "fire pan of Vinh" to be guests of SLNA, the Thanh football representative lost 5, drew 1 and only won 2. In the second leg of the 2017 V.League, FLC Thanh Hoa won 1-0, but that was a match in which SLNA only fielded mostly reserve players (SLNA ran out of goals in the V.League and was preparing to play the final match with B.Binh Duong in the National Cup).

It can be affirmed that Vinh Stadium is a big obstacle for Hoang Dinh Tung and his teammates. The upcoming second leg of the semi-final will certainly be no exception.

Not only having to play away at the "fire pan of Vinh", FLC Thanh Hoa also has to face the home team that is in very good form. The last 9 consecutive victories (8 matches in V.League, 1 match in the National Cup - the loser is FLC Thanh Hoa), are enough to show the terrible strength of the Nghe An team. Defeating SLNA at this time is an extremely difficult task for all opponents, not just FLC Thanh Hoa. A defeat awaits Hoang Dinh Tung and his teammates ahead.

That does not mean that everyone is against the Thanh team, or rather, FLC Thanh Hoa is supported by the competition schedule and they know how to take advantage of it. The fact that the domestic league has to be temporarily suspended for the Olympic team to attend the ASIAD is an opportunity for Hoang Dinh Tung and his teammates to "turn the tables" against SLNA in the second leg of the semi-final. The break of more than a month has unfortunately interrupted the winning streak of the Nghe players.

The duo Phan Van Duc - Pham Xuan Manh hardly have the best physical foundation. Photo: Internet.

Besides, FLC Thanh Hoa's refusal to move the match to October 3rd shows their calculation. The three Vietnamese Olympic players Phan Van Duc, Pham Xuan Manh (SLNA) and Bui Tien Dung (FLC Thanh Hoa) are all unlikely to play with the best physical condition. The Thanh team losing Bui Tien Dung does not affect much, because the goalkeeper born in 1997 only plays a backup role for his senior Nguyen Thanh Thang.

However, on the other side of the front line, if the duo Phan Van Duc - Pham Xuan Manh do not play or do not play at their best due to physical problems, it will be a great loss for SLNA. The importance of Duc "tiger" and Manh "Kalou" to the Nghe An team, especially in this year's season, is indisputable. Obviously, the health of Phan Van Duc and Pham Xuan Manh is a difficult problem for the coach nicknamed Thang "dinosaur".

In general, both SLNA and FLC Thanh Hoa have certain advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the final result of the match taking place at Vinh Stadium on the afternoon of September 5 is still a question mark. In the opinion of the writer, the Nghe An team will win a ticket to play in the final match of the 2018 National Cup./.