Song Lam Nghe An - the strangest team in V.League 2019

After round 23, SLNA is ranked 4th in the standings with 33 points, just one point behind Than Quang Ninh, who are above them. These numbers also reflect that SLNA is the most unusual team in V.League 2019. And with better preparation at the beginning of the season, SLNA could have been a force this season.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Firstly, SLNA is the team with the most draws in the V.League 2019 so far, with 9 draws, 8 wins, and 6 losses. Of those 9 draws, 7 were goalless draws. After drawing with Than Quang Ninh, SLNA drew consecutively with Nam Dinh, Viettel, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, SHB Da Nang, and most recently Hai Phong.

The reason why coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team became the "king of draws" in this year's V.League is because of their extremely poor attack and weak finishing at the beginning of the season. In the first half of the season, SLNA only scored 13 goals and conceded only 9. However, now, with 3 matches remaining in the 2019 V.League season, SLNA's attack has scored an additional 17 goals, averaging 1.7 goals per match.

When Vinicius scores, SLNA thrives. Photo: Huu Thanh

In their last five matches, free from injury concerns, SLNA secured three wins, one draw, and one unlucky loss against Ho Chi Minh City, earning a total of 10 points. Clearly, if players like Phan Van Duc and Pham Xuan Manh hadn't been injured and had resolved their finishing issues sooner, the Nghe An team would have undoubtedly secured a top-three position.

This achievement is thanks to the rising form of striker Ho Tuan Tai and new signing Joel Vinicius. Currently, Tuan Tai has 8 goals while Vinicius has 5, matching the record of Michael Olaha. Despite facing difficulties in adapting, Vinicius's goal-scoring efficiency is quite good, with 5 goals in 9 matches, while Olaha has 5 goals in 22 matches.

In terms of defense, SLNA still boasts the best defense in the V.League with only 23 goals conceded. The other two teams with the most solid defenses are Hanoi (24 goals conceded) and Ho Chi Minh City (25 goals conceded). This achievement also means that SLNA has kept 11 clean sheets.

SLNA's domestic players are still of high quality but frequently suffer injuries. Photo: Huu Thanh

Of SLNA's 23 conceded goals, 4 were in the match against Hanoi and 3 were penalty kicks awarded against Dinh Dong, Quang Tinh, and Dinh Hoang. Notably, SLNA is one of the teams that has benefited the least from penalties in the V.League, with only 2 goals scored by Khac Ngoc and Vinicius.

The team's defensive solidity is largely thanks to players like goalkeeper Nguyen Manh, center-back Damir Memovic, and two full-backs who have previously played for the national team. Coach Duc Thang revealed that SLNA has focused more on defense and improved their aerial ability. However, this also shows that SLNA's playing style has been too cautious, even boringly cautious, in the early part of the season.

Top 4 is within reach.

Although they are only one point behind the third-placed team, SLNA's position is easily overturned after just one loss. With only three matches remaining in the V.League 2019, it can be said that the team from Nghe An still holds the power to decide their own fate and finish in a medal-winning position.

SLNA was the most cautious team among the 14 teams in the 2019 V.League. Statistics show that SLNA did not score any goals in the first 15 minutes. However, SLNA scored 8 goals between the 15th and 30th minutes and 7 goals in the final 15 minutes of the match.

For the remainder of the season, SLNA will host Hanoi FC and Than Quang Ninh, and conclude the season with an away match against Quang Nam FC. A victory against Hanoi FC would significantly increase the chances for Coach Duc Thang's team. This is because in the first half of the season, SLNA performed better than both Quang Ninh and Quang Nam, securing 4 points.

One of SLNA's highlights this season is the rise and maturation of Xuan Manh, Ngoc Toan, Tuan Tai, and especially the arrival of foreign player Damir Memovic in the defensive system.

Pham Xuan Manh's return gives SLNA more options in attack. Photo: Huu Thanh

In the 2018 V.League season, despite facing difficulties, SLNA still finished in a spectacular 4th place with 12 wins, 6 draws, and 8 losses. The team's performance in the 2017 season was 8th place with 34 points, 8 draws, 10 wins, and 8 losses. Meanwhile, in the 2016 season, when coach Duc Thang took over, SLNA finished in 9th place with 9 wins, 7 draws, and 10 losses.

It seems that the Nghe An team could have completely repeated their V.League 2018 ranking. However, due to sponsorship problems at the beginning of the season, dozens of injuries, and the foreign striker's late emergence, SLNA, once a contender for the championship, suddenly lost their chance.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang was surprised by SLNA's resounding victory over B. Binh Duong.

(Baonghean.vn) - The head coach of Song Lam Nghe An said that before the match he highly rated B. Binh Duong and was quite surprised by the final result.