Song Lam Nghe An: A smooth start?

Many people know Mr. Phan Thanh Hung's calm and careful personality in the Vietnamese football community for a long time, so what he says is trustworthy, certain, and well-founded, and cannot be a moment of excitement or impulsiveness.

Lam River Nghe An.

But looking more closely, at the current strength as well as the preparation process, is the goal that SHB Da Nang has set out unfeasible, beyond reach? Meanwhile, after recent "disastrous" seasons, Song Lam Nghe An's goal of top 8 is considered modest, just right, because their strength and ambition do not allow them to declare too high, but the results cannot be as good as before.

After Van Duc, Van Khanh left, Nguyen Manh, Khac Ngoc, Hoang Thinh... did not return to Vinh stadium, after Trong Hoang returned to his usual stability, after buying 2 new foreign players in the center back and striker positions, with what was shown through the practice matches, the Vinh team almost showed nothing bright, hope?

Through many seasons of confrontation, Song Lam Nghe An often played easily against SHB Da Nang, from the time of confronting Huu Thang-Huynh Duc on the sand table to Quang Truong, Huy Hoang with the famous Mr. Thanh Hung. Song Lam Nghe An is famous for playing tough, the tougher they are, the more they make many opponents… lose before coming to Vinh stadium.

But that story is in the past when Song Lam Nghe An gradually shed that bad "label", played safer, more technically, and even won the "fair play" award in one season. In the recent season, Huy Hoang's team lost 1-3 at Hoa Xuan Stadium, then drew 2-2 at Vinh Stadium, but no one thought that Song Lam Nghe An really lost or drew, but there was also a deeper reason that could not be grasped, because before that, Mr. Thanh Hung's team had slid so far, so low that they had to be... considered? Of course, SHB Da Nang currently has remarkable young talents, they are even "better" than the young team of Song Lam Nghe An such as Duy Cuong, Dinh Duy, Phi Hoang. Mr. Thanh Hung's talent in the coaching chair will certainly be the deciding factor in whether after a difficult season (ranked 10th overall) they can really rise up or not?

With Song Lam Nghe An, the strength is not in the technical area, although this team is full of stars in the past but has little experience in coaching in the V-League. Although the Vinh team has "escaped poverty" compared to before, it is still not among the strong teams of the V-League, so its strength is still inferior to its younger brothers and sisters, and it still cannot compete for the top positions as desired, as is tradition. Song Lam Nghe An's youth training is a good brand, but the transition from the youth team to the first team is a challenge that is not easy to overcome.

Therefore, in this 2023 season, Song Lam Nghe An clings to hope in the experience of Trong Hoang, Ngoc Hai, Xuan Manh, in the coolness of buying foreign players, in the progress of Xuan Tien, Van Cuong... The opening match against SHB Da Nang is not a difficult match, impossible to overcome. The problem is that Huy Hoang and his students maintain the rhythm of the home game, maintain the inherent "fire", create a smooth start, then everything in the future will always be within reach.