Song Lam Nghe An and the problem of defensive crisis

Round 21 V.League 2024/2025,Lam River Nghe Anwill have a difficult away trip to Hai Phong's Lach Tray stadium.

After a 0-1 defeat to The Cong Viettel in round 20, the Nghe An team could not escape the relegation spiral. Currently, coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team are ranked 12th on the rankings, only 3 points ahead of Binh Dinh - the second-to-last team but having played 1 more match. The 5-point gap with the bottom team Da Nang is not safe enough when there are still 6 rounds left in the season. Therefore, the confrontation with Hai Phong is considered a key match, which can directly affect Song Lam Nghe An's relegation target.

However, at this crucial moment, the Nghe An team is facing a series of difficulties in terms of personnel, especially in the defense. The absence of many key players at the same time due to injury and punishment has caused the defense system of Song Lam Nghe An to fall into a serious crisis.

Specifically, left-back Vuong Van Huy - who has always played consistently and has been a reliable stopper since the beginning of the season - is injured and will have to rest for at least a week. Along with that, Le Van Thanh cannot play because he has received 3 yellow cards, while mainstay center-back Hoang Van Khanh is still in the recovery phase of injury and will almost certainly be absent. In addition, U20 Vietnam player - Le Nguyen Hoang is also having problems with his adductor muscle and will almost certainly not recover in time for this match.

The serious shortage of personnel makes the defense problem extremely difficult for the Coaching Board of Song Lam Nghe An. Especially when this team has built its playing style based on the solidity and stability of the defense, "breaking" many important positions at the same time can affect the entire tactical system.

At this time, coach Phan Nhu Thuat only has 3 names that can play as central defenders: Zaracho, Tran Nam Hai and Ho Khac Luong. However, the situation is not very optimistic. Zaracho has just returned from injury so he is not in the best physical condition. Khac Luong has been out of competition since the end of 2024 and is still a big question mark about his ability to keep up with the intensity of the match. Among them, only Tran Nam Hai has maintained stable performance when playing in 2 consecutive recent matches and performed quite well. He will almost certainly be the optimal choice in the center of the 4-man defense that Song Lam Nghe An often uses.

In the left-back position, the fact that Vuong Van Huy cannot play also poses a big challenge. The person most likely to be chosen as a replacement is Nguyen Mai Hoang. Although he has a good physical foundation and the ability to support attack and defense quite well, the player born in 2005 still lacks experience in top-level competition. There have been many times when this young player lacks confidence in handling situations. If he can improve his mentality and maintain stability, Mai Hoang can completely bring temporary certainty to the left wing of the Nghe An team.

Faced with a crisis in defense, it is clear that the Song Lam Nghe An Coaching Board will have to carefully calculate tactics. One of the important solutions is to reduce pressure on the defense by controlling the ball better and organizing defense from a distance. Midfielders Khac Ngoc and Quang Vinh will play a key role in maintaining the tempo of the match, limiting dangerous ball losses and appropriately switching defense to attack.

Along with that, Song Lam Nghe An needs to increase the ability to press high to make it difficult for the opponent to develop the ball. When doing this, the Nghe team will reduce the risk from the patchwork defense. Besides, Song Lam Nghe An can also be more proactive in creating attacking opportunities. Good control of the game will help the defensive players avoid being put in a passive state and under constant pressure, leading to mistakes.

Despite facing countless difficulties, fighting spirit is always highly appreciated at Song Lam Nghe An. Coach Phan Nhu Thuat will definitely require his students to fight with all their might, playing with more than 100% of their ability to aim for the goal of getting points on the away field.

Difficulties are undeniable, but if they have reasonable tactics and a fierce fighting spirit, the Nghe An team can completely hope for a positive result at Lach Tray./.