Song Lam Nghe An: Strong defense, excellent offense, and good fortune accompanies them.

SLNA's recent Four-Team Cup victory clearly demonstrated their strength with a 2-0 win against visiting team Ho Chi Minh City in Round 6 of V-League 1-2022. To date, in their three home matches, SLNA have won both games 2-0 against HAGL and Ho Chi Minh City, but suffered a 1-2 defeat against visiting team Binh Dinh.

Meanwhile, in their two away matches, SLNA also achieved positive results with a 1-0 victory against B. Binh Duong and a comfortable 1-1 draw against hosts Saigon FC. These results demonstrate that SLNA is making a strong comeback in the V-League and will be a formidable opponent for any team.

SLNA hosts Ho Chi Minh City in round 6. (Photo: Archival image)

After a bye in round 5, SLNA hosted Ho Chi Minh City in round 6 with several advantages, including playing at home and having a more stable squad compared to their opponents. While Ho Chi Minh City FC were missing three key players – Samson, Dinh Khuong, and Huy Toan – the home team only lacked foreign midfielder Ojong Mark.

Although he had promoted young players to the midfield, coach Huy Hoang did not risk fielding them immediately, but instead moved the physically strong and experienced full-back Xuan Manh to play as a defensive midfielder, linking up with Xuan Tien (right) and Van Duc (left) as usual.

The attack was entrusted to two foreign strikers, Olaha and Osenni. The 3-5-2 attacking formation, and 5-4-1 in defense, as coach Huy Hoang has been using since the beginning of the tournament, was continued against this challenging but not to be underestimated opponent.

This was the first time young player Dinh Xuan Tien made his official appearance in the V.League. In this match, the 19-year-old midfielder displayed complete confidence with his ball handling, helping SLNA dominate the game against their opponent. Photo: Duc Anh

The visiting team's undeniable strength was evident several times during the match, causing many fans at Vinh Stadium to become restless. One quick passing sequence on the wing caught both Ba Sang and Dinh Hoang off guard, forcing Dinh Hoang, the excellent assist provider for the first goal, to commit a serious foul and receive a red card near the end of the first half.

It also cannot be said that SLNA's midfield and defense played tightly when they allowed the opponent to make through passes and comfortably shoot, causing Van Hoang to fumble and only luck saved the home team from conceding a goal from Lam Ty Phong's close-range shot that went over the crossbar.

Playing with ten men, SLNA naturally faced numerous difficulties and were fortunate on at least two occasions when the opponent's shot hit the crossbar and was blocked by Ngoc Hai.

But once again, in difficult times, SLNA showed determination and unity to achieve victory. Playing with ten men, SLNA not only kept a clean sheet but also launched a superb counter-attack to increase the score to 2-0. A one-two pass between Van Duc and Osenni saw Van Duc provide a superb assist, setting up Sy Hoang for a neat finish. Van Duc, with a slightly better performance, could have added his name to the scoresheet with another exemplary counter-attack later on.

Currently, with Van Khanh's return from injury, coach Huy Hoang can feel confident with the trio of central defenders: Ngoc Hai (left), Van Khanh (center), and Ba Sang (right). However, with Dinh Hoang receiving a direct red card, SLNA played in a weakened 4-4-1 formation, moving Sy Hoang to the left wing alongside Ngoc Hai and Van Khanh in the center, Ba Sang on the right wing, and Olaha playing as a right winger.

The fact that U19 player Xuan Tien didn't go to Indonesia for the regional tournament but was given a starting position in the V-League shows that SLNA has its own strategy, not only for the current team but also for the long-term future of young players. Van Lam not playing, Van Viet only being brought on in the final minutes, and especially Sy Hoang scoring the goal to increase the score… all demonstrate that the SLNA coaching staff has a unique perspective on the young talents they have trained and nurtured.

Meanwhile, national team players Ngoc Hai, Van Duc, Van Hoang, and prospective player Xuan Manh remain irreplaceable pillars, helping the team maintain a solid defense and excel in counter-attacks in recent matches. After the game, senior player Huy Hoang praised Van Khanh and Xuan Manh based on the results achieved in the aforementioned match.

Olaha scored his first goal in V-League 1-2022, confirming that the striker is truly making a comeback, as is often seen in the reliable foreign player on the Vinh stadium. In addition, Osenni also showed good coordination with SLNA's attacking players and was the catalyst and decisiveness in creating scoring opportunities…

As you can see, SLNA is gradually stabilizing, catching up with the pace of the V-League, and coach Huy Hoang is proving his authority in his first official season leading the team.

Of course, the upcoming matches will be more challenging for both the coach and the players. These are crucial tests, leaving no room for mistakes like the situations where the opponent got past and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one in the match in round 6...