The "return" of Song Lam Nghe An!
(Baonghean.vn) - It was not until yesterday, with the 3-2 victory over Nam Dinh right at Thien Truong Stadium, that Nghe An audiences were able to see the image of SLNA of the past. An SLNA that played aggressively, with young players scoring goals and quality foreign players.
There is an interesting coincidence, in round 18 of V-League 2017, the Nghe An team, in a must-win situation, also had an extremely good match at Hoa Xuan Stadium of SHB.Da Nang. A match that not only won 3 points but also saw SLNA players play very well, actively holding the ball and pressuring the away team, to the point that coach Le Huynh Duc had to confess after the match: "I no longer recognized my students".
Foreign players shine
Many sports reporters present at Thien Truong Stadium were worried when holding the player registration list, Tuan Tai's name was not seen, while Phuc Tinh was on the bench. For a long time, the burden of scoring goals has been placed on the shoulders of Van Duc, Tuan Tai, and Phuc Tinh because SLNA's foreign players have all played very erratically. Therefore, looking at the starting lineup with the presence of the foreign striker pair Michael Olaha and rookie Jeremie Lynch, many Nghe An audiences were worried.
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| SLNA plays aggressively, young players score goals and have quality foreign players. Photo: Internet |
But looking at the neat ball control of rookie Jeremie, people began to have confidence in the technical level of this striker. Not long after, the goal came early with the footprints of 2 foreign players, Olaha passed to Jeremie Lynch to break the offside trap and shoot from close range, the ball hit the Nam Dinh defender's foot and flew into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Minh Nhut helpless.
The goal to increase the score to 3-0 was reversed from the right wing by Jeremie Lynch, after controlling the ball, who crossed the ball past the entire home team's defense for Olaha to easily finish close to the goal, increasing the score to 3-0 in the astonishment of the coaching staff and Nam Dinh players. I don't know how long ago was the last time the two foreign players of SLNA both assisted and scored a goal themselves, but it must have been a long time ago.
Not only that, after scoring, both Michael Olaha and Jeremie were very willing to retreat to support the defense. Despite his small stature, Jeremie was still very active in fighting for the ball and intercepting from afar to protect the 3-2 score in favor of the Nghe An team.
Van Duc shines
If Phi Son had not transferred to play for Ho Chi Minh City, Van Duc would not have been as brilliant. Due to injury, Van Duc has only played 13/18 matches for SLNA in the V-League, but has scored 9 goals and 3 assists, becoming the domestic striker with the best form in the V-League.
Up to now, Van Duc has scored 5 goals with his right foot, 1 with his left foot and 3 goals with his head. Not Cong Phuong, Van Toan but Van Duc and Tien Linh (B.Binh Duong) are the domestic strikers with the best scoring technique on Vietnamese football fields today. The playing style of this striker number 20 is quite simple but very effective, the goal with his head at Thien Truong stadium is a very clear example.
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| SLNA has many players participating in creating, making the Nghe An team's playing style more and more diverse. Photo: Internet |
"Ah, here it is SLNA!" - That was the emotional call from the beginning of the season, SLNA lost more than won in the first 12 rounds. The victory over Nam Dinh, in addition to the two foreign players showing their ability to coordinate for the first time, also showed that besides Khac Ngoc, Xuan Thang and Xuan Manh can also play the role of creator. Khac Ngoc is still the team's leader, but having many players participating in creation makes the Nghe An team's playing style more diverse, making it difficult for opponents to predict.
It is impossible not to mention the two names Van Binh and The Nhat. If Van Binh combined with his junior Khac Ngoc to organize blocking and control the game, then central defender The Nhat was like a necessary addition so that Van Khanh could have time to rest and recover his physical strength.
SLNA has just had a winning streak of 6 matches. Ahead of them are 2 matches at Vinh Stadium with Quang Nam and HAGL, these are open matches, promising many goals. The audience will come to the stadium in larger numbers, if Van Duc and Jeremie maintain their scoring form like the last match.
