Song Lam Nghe An: The attacking line is a difficult problem.

The defense of the Nghe An team has been performing quite steadily and solidly so far. Despite the absence of goalkeeper Nguyen Manh and Dinh Hoang's return after more than a year out with injury, Ngoc Hai and his teammates are doing a good job.

Comparing SLNA's current tally of 8 goals conceded in 7 matches to their 13 goals conceded in 7 matches in the 2017 V.League season, it's clear that their defense isn't the sole reason for their poor performance.

Thus, the weakness in scoring goals is the main reason why SLNA has not achieved favorable results. With an average of 1 goal per game (7 goals/7 games), the team from Nghe An is not yet the team with the worst attack in V.League 2018 after the first 7 rounds (Nam Dinh 5 goals/7 games, Quang Nam FC, Hai Phong and S. Khanh Hoa 6/7 games).

However, when considering their ability to convert opportunities into goals, Olaha and his teammates are entirely justified in their criticism.

Despite scoring three goals, Van Duc also frequently missed good opportunities. Photo: Duc Anh

Witnessing the recent matches of the Nghe An team, experts and fans alike must admit that SLNA's strikers have been incredibly poor at finishing. Numerous clear-cut opportunities were created in front of the opponent's goal, but Olaha, Van Duc, Tuan Tai, and others squandered them in a truly regrettable manner.

First, the opposing goalkeeper made excellent saves, then the post and crossbar became obstacles, and unbelievable misses by Van Duc and his teammates pushed SLNA into a desperate situation.

Looking at the statistics from the SLNA - Nam Định match (0 - 1) on May 4th makes it clear. Throughout the 90 minutes of play at Vinh Stadium, the home team unleashed a total of 12 shots, of which 9 were on target against goalkeeper Quoc Thien Esele (Olaha hit the post twice).

On the other side of the pitch, Nam Dinh only managed a total of 9 shots, 5 of which were on target against goalkeeper Van Tien. As a result, coach Nguyen Van Sy's team still left Nghe An with a full 3 points, thanks to the only goal scored by Sy Minh (53rd minute).

SLNA's loss to Nam Dinh had many similarities to their 0-1 defeat (scored by Ti Phong) against S. Khanh Hoa in round 2 (March 18). Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team played better, controlled the game, and created numerous scoring opportunities.

Unfortunately, Văn Đức and his teammates' shots were either brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Tuấn Mạnh, or went wide, or hit the crossbar or post of S. Khánh Hòa's goal (Văn Đức hit the post twice).

SLNA (in yellow) lost to Nam Dinh because they failed to capitalize on the opportunities created. Photo: Duc Anh

SLNA's attack has scored 7 goals/7 matches at the moment, which is much less than the 10 goals/7 matches they achieved last season. This comparison shows that the inefficiency in scoring goals of Olaha and his teammates is contributing to SLNA being stuck in the second-to-last position (13) on the leaderboard.

With foreign player Osmar Moreira's recovery date still uncertain, the burden of scoring goals rests heavily on Van Duc, Olaha, Tuan Tai, Phuc Tinh, and others...

Given the current situation, the SLNA coaching staff can only hope that their players rediscover their scoring touch and that the bad luck will finally lift. If they do, the team from Nghe An might escape the relegation zone in the next round. The team's attack is truly a difficult problem for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his colleagues.

SLNA vs. Quang Ninh: A battle of wits between the two coaches.

(Baonghean.vn) - Playing away from home and without any national team players, Than Quang Ninh's coach Phan Thanh Hung is not necessarily at a disadvantage compared to SLNA's coach Duc Thang. The man from Quang Ninh is currently one of the most successful coaches in the V-League.