Song Lam Nghe An welcomes Than Quang Ninh, taking advantage of the victory to advance

(Baonghean.vn) - Winning a ticket to the National Cup semi-finals is a convincing victory for SLNA. However, it will be a great motivation for the domestic players to confidently welcome Than Quang Ninh in round 14 of V.League.

Facing Than Quang Ninh, SLNA will only play with one foreign striker, Olaha. However, that does not mean that the Nghe An team's strength will decrease. The person who will replace Henry is none other than Ho Phuc Tinh. The young player has been in good form recently. On the other hand, playing with 10/11 domestic players who train together, surely coach Nguyen Duc Thang's students will have more understanding than any other foreign player.

Song Lam Nghe An is in a good mood before the match against Than Quang Ninh at Vinh Stadium - Photo: Trung Kien

Without Dinh Hoang, Tuan Tai, and Manh Hung due to injuries, SLNA still had enough strength to win 3 points against Than Quang Ninh at home. For a long time, SLNA's domestic strikers have been struggling to prove themselves. In fact, foreign players have taken away their chance to play, and now is the most appropriate time for them to seize their opportunity.

Three consecutive wins in the National Cup may have made SLNA lose some strength, but its effect will not be small at all. Coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team have no intention of relaxing in the middle of the season. Young players still make mistakes, they do not have confidence and only training can help them become more confident on the field.

Looking at SLNA's current strength, the vertical axis is still highly appreciated. In defense, Que Ngoc Hai has been playing quite consistently in recent times at both club and national team levels. The midfield will be the explosion of Ho Khac Ngoc, a player who is reaching his peak form. More importantly, he has just been retained by SLNA for 2 years, and a salary increase to ensure his dedication is a great motivation for this player.

Striker Olaha, although playing behind, plays an important role in coach Nguyen Duc Thang's 5-man midfield formation. In addition, Tran Phi Son has the ability to operate freely in the midfield and on both wings.

It can be said that SLNA's preparation for round 14 of V.League is considered quite thorough after the warm-up at the National Cup. The Nghe An team not only has the home field advantage but the away team Than Quang Ninh also has difficulty traveling from Da Nang to Vinh by train. Meanwhile, SLNA travels from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh by air and has more time to prepare for the match.

The image of disabled fan Nguyen Ba Ky is a great motivation for Nghe An players to compete - Photo: Trung Kien

Those are subjective factors in favor of SLNA. However, Than Quang Ninh is still a team that is not easy to bully. The away team will have the return of the old player Dyachenko. Together with another striker Patiyo, Dyachenko is expected to be a pair of strikers on the attack line. Midfielder Vu Minh Tuan is also a spearhead that Que Ngoc Hai must be highly vigilant of.

In the first “test” of their forces, SLNA defeated Hanoi in the 1/8 round of the National Cup. The two “tests” of the first and second leg of the National Cup quarterfinals could be quite favorable for SLNA. And against Than Quang Ninh, who are in good form, the away team is truly a measure of the class and strength of the Nghe An team at this time.

Now or it will be a long time before domestic strikers are given a chance. This will be a pivotal match for the first leg of the V.League. Nghe An fans hope that their desire to believe in young players, which is receiving the attention of coach Duc Thang, will gradually help SLNA improve their playing style and gradually rebuild trust. They are proving this by organizing a grand parade before the match.

And an equally important factor is that coach Nguyen Duc Thang's students will certainly not lose out if they defeat Than Quang Ninh. Because it has been a long time since the sponsor NH Bac A has had the opportunity to spend a large amount of money. Before the match, SLNA has all the factors: favorable time, favorable location, and favorable people.

Trung Kien