Song Lam Nghe An: Storm ahead!
(Baonghean.vn) - The upcoming matches of coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team are extremely difficult, in the situation of injury problems and decline in performance that are haunting the Nghe An team.
According to the 2018 V.League schedule, SLNA's next three opponents will be the defending champions Quang Nam FC, HAGL and Hanoi FC. Round 8 will take place on May 20, Ngoc Hai and his teammates will compete with the home team Quang Nam FC at Tam Ky Stadium. This is an opponent that is considered to be better than coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team in all aspects.
In addition to the home field advantage, the team under coach Hoang Van Phuc is also among the top of the V.League in recent seasons. In the 2018 National Super Cup match held on February 24 at Hang Day Stadium (Hanoi), the Quang team defeated the Nghe team with a minimum score of 1-0 to win the championship. In the upcoming meeting between the two teams within the framework of V.League 2018, the chance of winning points for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team is quite small.
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| National Super Cup 2018, Quang Nam FC defeated SLNA. Photo: Anh Tuan |
After the away match at Tam Ky Stadium, Ngoc Hai and his teammates will have to march to Pleiku City to face HAGL. In terms of strength and head-to-head record, SLNA is not inferior to the home team. Ngoc Hai, Van Khanh, Xuan Manh, Van Duc, Olaha... are on par with Xuan Truong, Cong Phuong, Van Thanh, Van Toan... on the other side of the front line, in terms of expertise and battle experience.
In the last 4 matches between the two teams, SLNA has had the overwhelming advantage with 3 wins and 1 draw. Moreover, Pleiku Stadium is not too big of an obstacle for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team. In the last 2 away matches against HAGL, the Nghe An team won 1 match (0-2 in the second leg of V.League 2017) and 1 draw (0-0 in the first leg of V.League 2016). This time, Ngoc Hai and his teammates are likely to leave Pleiku Stadium with at least 1 point in hand.
The next opponent of the Nghe An team in the 10th round is Hanoi FC (May 30). Although playing on the "fire pan of Vinh", SLNA's chances of winning are very small. From the force to the performance, coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team are a few parts inferior to the team of Mr. Hien. In the past seasons, there have been few teams in the V.League with the same quality of squad as Hanoi FC.
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| SLNA (yellow) lost to Hanoi with a score of 1-2 right at Vinh Stadium in the second leg of V.League 2017. Photo: Archive |
Besides the quality domestic players such as Van Quyet, Thanh Luong, Quang Hai, Duy Manh, Dinh Trong... Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem also has the services of famous foreign players such as Oseni and Moses.
The leading position of the V.League 2018 of the Hang Day home team at the moment is a clear proof of the strength and terrible form of Thanh Luong and his teammates. Remember, in the last 2 away trips to Vinh Stadium, Hanoi FC returned with 3 full points.
It seems that after the upcoming rounds (rounds 8, 9, 10), coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team will not easily escape the red light group. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is a storm ahead for the Nghe An team.
If the main players do not quickly recover from injuries and their performance does not improve, SLNA will face extremely difficult in the relegation race./.
