Song Lam Nghe An - Nam Dinh Green Steel: A "tough" battle for the home team

Nam Dinh Green Steel – the spirit of a champion

After winning the V.League championship last season, Nam Dinh showed their seriousness in defending the title. They did not rest on their laurels but immediately made thorough preparations. First was a training trip to Phu Yen, then a trip to Korea to compete with strong teams in the K.League.

It is worth mentioning that coach Vu Hong Viet and his team have won all three friendly matches, an achievement enough to strengthen the belief that the team from Thanh Nam is ready to defend the throne.

That preparation is also clearly shown in the transfer market. Nam Dinh continuously adds personnel with many notable faces such as A Mit, Van Toi, Mahmoud Edi, Njabulo Blom and especially the 2m06 "tower" Kyle Hudlin. Hudlin's appearance immediately creates a highlight for the playing style, when he brings an aerial attack option that very few teams in V.League can possess.

However, Nam Dinh also faced difficulties when losing the services of Van Toan and Xuan Son due to long-term injuries. This caused their fast-paced attack to lose some of its flexibility.

However, the 2-1 comeback win over Hai Phong in the opening round showed that even without their strongest squad, Nam Dinh still knew how to solve problems. They fell behind but did not panic, but instead pressed their opponents to find opportunities. The appearance of Hudlin in the second half turned the game around, opening up an equalizer before Pham Ba scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute.

It was a victory that bore the mark of a team of real class. It showed that Nam Dinh not only had depth of force, but also possessed the spirit of always overcoming all obstacles, the factor that makes the difference between a candidate and a true champion. Therefore, even though they had to travel to Vinh Stadium, the team from Thanh Nam still entered the match with the upper hand.

SLNA and the ultimate weight challengeat Vinh Stadium

In contrast to the fiery atmosphere of Nam Dinh,Lam River Nghe AnThe new season started off with a lot of difficulties. The 1-2 defeat to PVF-CAND in the opening round caused coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team to face many problems. The defense lacked concentration, individual mistakes kept appearing and became fatal weaknesses.

Worse, foreign midfielder Justin Julian received a red card and was suspended, causing SLNA to lose its most important defensive anchor in the match against the champion.

This means that SLNA’s defense will have to rely entirely on domestic central defenders. Facing a Nam Dinh team with a squad of tall and strong foreign strikers, this is clearly a huge challenge.

Kyle Hudlin’s danger was proven in the match against Hai Phong. In that match, even though he did not directly score, Kyle Hudlin still made a big impact with his ability to compete in the air, stretching the defense and creating space for his teammates. With a defense that is not really stable like SLNA, facing this “tower” is definitely a nightmare.

However, it cannot be denied that SLNA still has bright spots. The attack line with Olaha and Moore is capable of creating breakthroughs if it receives good support from the midfield. Olaha’s goal against PVF-CAND shows the sharpness that this foreign player can bring.

The problem lies in whether SLNA has enough precision to take advantage of the opportunity against Nam Dinh's experienced defense. Because in a match where the away team is likely to control the game, the number of times SLNA approaches the opponent's goal is certainly not much.

The biggest support for SLNA is Vinh Stadium. The enthusiasm of Nghe An fans is always a special weapon, helping the players play with more excitement. In many past seasons, Vinh Stadium has witnessed many times the home team played explosively to create surprises against strong opponents. But modern football is not only decided by spirit. To get points against Nam Dinh, SLNA needs maximum concentration, especially the ability to limit mistakes in defense.

If round 1 was a warning, then round 2 will be the real test for SLNA’s goals this season. A draw can be considered a positive result, while another defeat will put the Nghe An team under great pressure right from the start of the season.

Obviously, despite having home field advantage, against a Nam Dinh team with comprehensive strength, coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team will find it difficult to find an easy match. The match at Vinh Stadium therefore promises to be a tough battle for the home team.