Song Lam Nghe An and the challenge of ball control and finishing.
After six winless matches, SLNA has revealed many weaknesses in both its defense and attack. Furthermore, the midfield of the Nghe An team, with its overly young midfielders, is also a cause for concern at this time.
Coach Pham Anh Tuan is building a playing style for SLNA that emphasizes tight defense and quick counter-attacks. However, the transition after winning the ball back from their own half to the attacking line is quite slow. This is due to the fact that SLNA's midfielders are still limited in their ability to make long passes and change the direction of attack.
SLNA's transitional plays rely heavily on goalkeeper Van Viet and center-backs Zaracho and Nguyen Hoang, who possess good long-passing abilities. Meanwhile, Quang Vinh and especially Quang Tu lack the accuracy to make many long passes.
In the situation where a goal was disallowed by VAR in the first minute.match against Ho Chi Minh CityThe pass to B. Kuku came from center-back Zaracho. This was a typical attacking situation in a 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2) formation. However, unfortunately, Quang Vinh's beautiful goal after his run and shot was disallowed because Kuku was offside beforehand.
SLNA's ability to transition from defense to attack relies heavily on their center forwards. Olaha and Kuku have had to drop deep due to a lack of possession in recent matches. Clearly, the absence of Phan Bá Quyền in midfield is causing SLNA significant difficulties in their midfield strategy.
.jpg)
To organize attacks or counter-attacks and ensure goal safety, the role of the defensive midfielder is crucial. In recent matches, midfielder Quang Tú has not performed this role well. Many goals conceded still come from situations right near the 16.5-meter line, and most of these goals lacked the aggressive pressing from Quang Tú, Xuân Tiến, or Quang Vinh. The roles of these three players on the field are not yet clearly defined, although Xuân Tiến has gradually regained his match fitness. None of the three possess the qualities of a midfield leader, capable of controlling the ball, distributing the tempo of the game, or leading the attack.
SLNA is currently lacking players like Quoc Vuong, Van Binh, Quang Tinh, or Khac Ngoc from the past, or a foreign player for this position. However, it's difficult to trade a foreign striker for a foreign midfielder in the V.League, which only allows three foreign player registration slots.
According to Fstat statistics, Song Lam Nghe An has had a relatively low ball possession rate in their recent matches. In their most recent game, the team from Nghe An played quite well in the first half, but quickly lost control of the game in the second half to their opponents. Throughout the 90 minutes, the home team SLNA only controlled the ball at a rate of 40%.
This figure was 45% in the draw against Binh Dinh, 45.1% in the loss against Nam Dinh, 45.2% in the draw against Ha Tinh, 44% in the loss against HAGL, and 43% in the draw against Da Nang. Overall, Song Lam Nghe An's ball possession rate was only 47%.
It's understandable that a five-defender formation isn't a style of play focused on ball possession, but the statistics and on-field performance show that SLNA's young midfield can't control the midfield area; they lose possession or are overwhelmed too often. Without the ball to create chances, the players' stamina quickly declines, and they become overly reliant on counter-attacks.
.jpg)
The midfield's failure to perform its role effectively forced Olaha to drop deeper, resulting in less than optimal coordination between him and striker B. Kuku. B. Kuku scored one goal from a free kick and one from an assist by teammate Long Vũ, along with two assists. However, he only provided one assist for Olaha. In many situations, B. Kuku failed to connect with Olaha's passes due to misunderstandings, leading to wasted opportunities.
Statistics also show that SLNA is wasting too many opportunities. In the recent match against Ho Chi Minh City alone, SLNA had 16 shots compared to 7 from their opponent, but only 5 were on target and 0 goals were scored. SLNA's average number of shots per game after 6 matches is relatively high in the V.League at 9.67/match, with an average of 5 on target/match, but they have only scored 4 goals.
Regarding SLNA's defense, they have suffered serious losses recently due to persistent and recurring injuries, conceding 9 goals. However, in the recent match against Ho Chi Minh City, with Van Cuong, Nguyen Hoang, Zaracho, Van Thanh, and Van Huy, this five-man defensive system of Song Lam Nghe An began to inspire confidence. That is why Dinh Hoang was not used in the recent match despite being ready to return.
In any case, to run a game and win, the first priority is ensuring a solid defense. And once opportunities are created but cannot be capitalized on and the game cannot be decided by goals, SLNA's six-match winless streak is understandable. Hopefully, Coach Pham Anh Tuan and his staff will find ways to improve these aspects in the coming period to achieve their first victory.
