Song Lam Nghe An 'holds the gold and lets it fall' on Quang Nam field

(Baonghean.vn) - Although only playing with 1 foreign player Olaha, while the home team played with 3 foreign players, SLNA had a "fiery" first half at Tam Ky Stadium this afternoon, June 28. However, the second half did not go as expected by coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team.

Before "colliding" in round 15 of V.League, both SLNA and Quang Nam had quite stable performance. If in June, SLNA was unbeaten in 4 consecutive matches, including defeating the reigning V.League champion, Hanoi FC, in the National Cup, then in the last round, Than Quang Ninh was completely overcome by SLNA's beautiful passing and coordination.

Song Lam Nghe An players warm up before the match. Photo: Trung Kien

Meanwhile, after 14 matches, Quang Nam FC's attack has played effectively with 22 goals. When returning home, Mr. Hoang Van Phuc's students promise to be a real opponent for SLNA.

Visiting Quang Nam at Tam Ky Stadium, 2 "hidden" problems that made SLNA rated lower were the lack of 1 foreign player and defensive risks at the end of the match.

In terms of correlation and strength, the home team is considered to be more muscular. However, both teams possess many individuals who can make a difference.

Coach Nguyen Huu Thang was present in the stands to watch the match between Quang Nam and SLNA. Photo: Trung Kien

After the opening whistle, the first minutes of the match at Tam Ky Stadium took place with an unpredictable scenario. While the national team head coach Nguyen Huu Thang had not yet settled down, Phi Son and Olaha made the home team taste bitter fruit.

In the 3rd minute, from a combination on the left wing, Phi Son broke through, dribbled skillfully before lifting the ball over the head of goalkeeper Pham Van Cuong of Quang Nam. The ball hit the post of the Quang Nam goalkeeper before Olaha arrived at the right time, volleying beautifully to open the score for SLNA.

Striker Olaha Michael was there in time to score the opening goal for the home team - Photo: Trung Kien

Having been punctured by SLNA first, coach Hoang Van Phuc's players put all their efforts into creating pressure on the visitors' field. 10 minutes after the goal was scored, Nguyen Manh and the SLNA defense continuously encountered unsteady situations caused by Dinh Thanh Trung and two tall foreign players from Quang Nam, Claudecir and Dai Duong.

Playing slowly and steadily on the home field, SLNA still created some situations to develop the ball on both sides, but the shots of Phuc Tinh and Phi Son were both promptly blocked by Brazilian center-back Thiago. In front of Nguyen Manh's goal, the center-back pair Ngoc Hai - Van Khanh and Van Vinh created a defensive triangle that was still covering each other quite well.

In the 42nd minute, SLNA continued to make Quang Nam fans speechless with a central combination. This time, the one who coordinated with Phi Son was striker Van Duc. After Van Duc's delicate backheel pass, the young SLNA striker faced goalkeeper Van Cuong and a little alertness helped him become the owner of the second goal.

Not applying enough pressure, not attacking sharply and relying too much on foreign players, in the remaining minutes of the first half, Quang Nam had to accept entering the break with a quick 2-goal loss.

Teammates celebrate with Phan Van Duc for the goal that raised the score to 2-0 - Photo: Trung Kien

Not long into the second half, the home team unexpectedly scored a goal to narrow the gap. In the 55th minute, striker number 99 Nguyen Trung Dai Duong took advantage of a messy play, shooting past Nguyen Manh, much to the surprise of the majority of the away team's defense.

With the goal to reduce the score, the home team's excitement increased with continuous passes from both wings to the foreign strikers. And in a punching move to clear Nguyen Manh in the 59th minute, midfielder Dinh Thanh Trung immediately had a tap-in into the far corner, leveling the score 2-2 for Quang Nam.

At this time, Que Ngoc Hai and Van Vinh had left the field to make way for Minh Duc and Thanh Phong due to injuries. However, this change also helped SLNA improve their attack. In the 66th minute, in a counter-attack by SLNA, the striker had a chance to face goalkeeper Van Cuong and after just one control, the away team's striker accurately cushioned the ball into the far corner. The Quang Nam goalkeeper stood still as he watched the ball fly into the net, the score was 3-2 for SLNA.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team celebrate Ho Phuc Tinh's dramatic third goal - Photo: Trung Kien.

The third goal made Quang Nam players appear quite impatient and lose their composure in the interception situations. Many SLNA players had to leave the field on stretchers when the match had only about 20 minutes left.

And about 10 minutes after the match, the audience stood up to watch the dramatic and heart-stopping situations. SLNA and Quang Nam continuously created opportunities towards each other's goal, but the home team was the one who took advantage better.

In the 82nd minute, Dinh Thang's pass put Ha Minh Tuan in a favorable position and the Quang Nam striker was accurate in his finish, defeating Nguyen Manh, tying the score at 3-3.

If he had been luckier with his shot in the second minute of extra time, Van Duc could have helped his team create a dream match at Tam Ky Stadium. Unfortunately, his shot with his weaker foot sent the ball just wide of the crossbar. And 3-3 was also the final result of the match.

Another match in which SLNA "gained a handicap" against a strong opponent. And although they played quite well and scored the first goal, the defense once again made the Nghe team lose points regrettably. After drawing two consecutive matches, SLNA got 16 points after 15 rounds before visiting Ho Chi Minh City in the next round at Thong Nhat Stadium.

Trung Kien