Song Lam Nghe An and things to fix after V.League 2024/25

The pillars of the twenties

In the 2024/25 season, Song Lam Nghe An continues to use the squad with the youngest average age in the tournament. However, through each match, the physical strength to operate at high intensity for 90-100 minutes, the fighting spirit and expertise of the young players have clearly improved.

A typical example is midfielder Nguyen Quang Vinh, although born in 2005, Quang Vinh has been a mainstay of the team for 2 consecutive seasons. In V.League 2023/24, Quang Vinh played 23 matches, scored 2 goals and this season played 24 matches with 2 very important goals.

Another player who has shown his maturity is Le Dinh Long Vu. Born in 2006, only 19 years old, this winger has had 21 matches in V.League 2024/25 and 12 matches last season. Although he has not scored a goal of his own, he is a player who creates breakthroughs and has many assists for his teammates.

And it is also necessary to mention the older "hardened" players such as goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet, Phan Ba ​​Quyen, Dinh Xuan Tien, Vuong Van Huy, Tran Nam Hai, Ngo Van Luong, Tran Manh Quynh... The fairly stable performance of these players along with the guidance of key players such as Dinh Hoang, Khac Ngoc, Van Khanh helps coach Phan Nhu Thuat have more choices.

It can be said that after 2-3 seasons, Song Lam Nghe An boldly promoted new players to play in the V.League, the players aged 19-20 have become more mature and confident. Many faces will be the pillars of the team as well as U22, U23 Vietnam, especially the core in the upcoming National U21 Tournament. That is the greatest value that Song Lam Nghe An has after a stressful season.

Youth and a tenacious fighting spirit were the most dangerous weapons of Song Lam Nghe An last season. However, in exchange for the maturity of young talents, the Nghe An team had to pay with modest results and achievements, many times falling into difficult situations on the rankings.

Things to improve

Youth is an advantage, but what Song Lam Nghe An needs to improve is experience, confidence in the match, concentration and avoiding unnecessary mistakes. Many matches have good positions, scoring the first goal but easily losing the victory or being tied due to unnecessary mistakes such as penalties, red cards...

These include away matches against Quy Nhon Binh Dinh, Quang Nam, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi Police, Viettel, Ho Chi Minh City... and home matches against Hanoi Police, Quang Nam, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi... Therefore, Song Lam Nghe An is the team with the second highest number of draws in V.League with 11 draws, only behind Hong Linh Ha Tinh with 15 matches.

In terms of gameplay,Lam River Nghe Anshowed more coherence but finishing and the ability to take advantage of opportunities are still big problems. And goals from set pieces and free kicks only started to come at the end of the season when Ba Quyen, Kuku or Zaracho spoke up. And Song Lam Nghe An has not found a direct free kick taker to score a goal.

And what many viewers clearly see is the quality of foreign players. Olaha's performance this season has shown signs of decline. Obviously, the striker pair Olaha - Kuku only scored 9 goals, which is not enough to meet the expectations of the coaching staff. Meanwhile, Zaracho, despite scoring 2 goals, often has to sit out due to cards and injuries.

It can be said that in the 2024/25 season, Song Lam Nghe An escaped danger because they brought in experienced players such as Khac Ngoc and Van Khanh early. At the same time, they relied on their fighting spirit and efforts to overcome difficulties at each moment. If they had known how to take advantage of opportunities when facing opponents of equal strength, Song Lam Nghe An would have had a better position on the rankings.

In addition to focusing on the semi-final match and aiming for the title at the National Cup, Song Lam Nghe An also needs to make urgent and thorough preparations for the new season, especially in selecting foreign players and retaining key players. To do that in the current context, timely attention from the province and sponsors is needed./.