Song Lam Nghe An - 'Weapon' Olaha creates and the second line finishes

Of course, the traditional weapon of Thanh Vinh football team has long been the will to overcome difficulties, the more difficult the stronger. Moreover, the young players who have just been promoted and trusted by Song Lam Nghe An are not "young and inexperienced" because at the club level and youth teams, many of these faces have been trusted in many tournaments at home and abroad. The current coaching staff is a collective that knows how to work together and they are showing that this cooperation can bring better results. Therefore, there are still some grounds for hope when the long-distance tournament takes place.

The three rounds that have just taken place (2 draws, 1 loss, win-loss difference 3/5) of Song Lam Nghe An do not say much, but also reveal some details that should not be ignored. First of all, the opponents Viettel, Hong Linh Ha Tinh and Dong A Thanh Hoa are not weak opponents, lacking ambition. "Luckily" for Song Lam Nghe An, the match against Viettel at Vinh Stadium was not difficult and miserable because the opponent was missing the number 1 class passer Hoang Duc.

In the second away match at Hong Linh Ha Tinh, the home team also missed a foreign player. But in the away match at Thanh Hoa, Dinh Hoang and his teammates were at a complete disadvantage as Mr. Popov's team was full of enthusiasm in the first two matches but only managed a regrettable draw (a 2-2 draw against Hong Linh Ha Tinh, an acceptable draw against Viettel 1-1) and the match against Song Lam Nghe An was the best opportunity for them to prove their strength and ambition.

Song Lam Nghe An's internal situation in the first 3 matches also had its own problems, when senior Trong Hoang suffered a relapse of injury and had not recovered, the 3rd foreign player was only allowed to enter the field in a hurry in the match against Dong A Thanh Hoa, not really getting used to the playing style of the new team. In the internal context and against the opponent as mentioned above, Song Lam Nghe An played brilliantly and coherently in the first 2 matches and deserved more than a draw, but in the 3rd match, all weaknesses were clearly exposed, similar to what Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost to Quy Nhon Binh Dinh with the same score of 1-3 as predicted.

Against Viettel and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, the young team and foreign players of Song Lam Nghe An were not afraid or immature, but instead knew how to proactively hold the ball firmly, defend tightly and attack coherently when counter-attack opportunities opened up. The equalizer in the opening match was an excellent counter-attack, Olaha's forte with speed, Manh Quynh's quick penetration from the second line allowed this young player to score a truly beautiful opening goal, creating trust and excitement for the whole team. Song Lam Nghe An's second goal in the away match at Ha Tinh also came from the visitors' first attack from the right wing, from Olaha's shot hitting the far post so that young player Van Bach from the second line could rush down and successfully score the rebound. It should be added that Song Lam Nghe An's only goal in the loss to Dong A Thanh Hoa was also created by Olaha, allowing Xuan Tien from the second line to create a very memorable masterpiece. Olaha was the foreign player who created a breakthrough in the playing style, continuously assisting all 3 goals for the home team, and he deserved more than one goal if the crossbar and the goalpost had not cruelly refused. Is it true that the "weapon" of Song Lam Nghe An is Olaha creating breakthroughs, assisting and scoring goals in the second line? But it seems that is not enough, because unfortunately...

Unfortunately, the young squad and foreign players of Song Lam Nghe An were not strong enough to break down Viettel's defense in a match with many opportunities. Unfortunately, when Ba Quyen left the defensive midfielder position, when Khac Luong suffered a serious injury, Van Viet could not keep the net against the genius Thanh Trung in the unfortunate extra time in the draw with Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Unfortunately, injuries forced the young squad to change continuously after only 3 matches, and then the pressure caused both Dinh Hoang and Van Viet to make serious mistakes, more than once. Also for the first time since Nhu Thuat took charge, the match against Dong A Thanh Hoa showed that the coaching staff was truly helpless, underhanded against a formidable opponent, even when the game seemed to have reversed after Xuan Tien's equalizer.

There are things that need time to answer and there are things that no one can answer. Trong Hoang's return here could be a good solution both psychologically and professionally. The break after round 3 could bring Ngo Van Luong back to thicken the attack. But who is the best central defender to pair with foreign player Zebic is still a difficult question, because Van Thanh is suspended for 2 matches and is not the most reliable, Nguyen Hoang is still young, while the solution of withdrawing Ba Quyen or Nam Hai creates a gap in the midfield? If Olaha can rest assured when allowing this foreign player to play wide, attract opponents and show his creative talent as seen, how Success will integrate from here is still a... mystery?

Young players in general are not/have not been stable for many reasons, like Van Bach is an example. Most notably, after a season of great dedication, Xuan Tien recently only played a few dozen minutes in a match despite his best efforts. Therefore, hopefully after the current golden break, Song Lam Nghe An will regain its initial momentum, domestic and foreign players will be more compatible and determined, to at least find more than one win as capital for the long journey. When and only then, Thanh Vinh team will be able to escape the inertia of a slow start, of being weighed down at the bottom of the table, to escape, to rise, to get out of the unwanted "anti-relegation group"./.