SXKT.Can Tho - SLNA: Easy to go to the Western capital, hard to return!

Until now, people still do not understand why SXKT.Can Tho had 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. If the loss to the championship candidate (Hanoi FC) - 3 right at home only confirmed that coach Dinh Hong Vinh still has a lot of work to do if he wants to stay in the league, the remaining 3 matches demonstrated the fighting spirit of the Tay Do team.

In particular, the 1-0 victory right at Lach Tray Stadium was highly appreciated by experts, a victory that made the seat of home coach Truong Viet Hoang shaky.

Strong in spirit

First of all, it must be affirmed that SXKT.Can Tho and Nam Dinh are teams in the high-risk group of having to leave the V-League. The list of domestic players of the Tay Do team participating in the season, the most promising is midfielder Quang Tinh, who last year had 2 goals and 6 assists, but has passed the age of 30.

Central midfielder Huu Dung (7) is Khac Ngoc's opponent in the upcoming match. Photo: TA

Up to now, this Nghe An-born captain has not been able to enter the field, Que Ngoc Manh has moved to B.Binh Duong. Names like Vu Anh Tuan, Huu Dung, Tang Tuan, Duc Loc are playing with great effort thanks to the new coach Dinh Hong Vinh's ability to motivate rather than his professional mark.

Foreign players Wander and Hoang Vissai are just familiar names rather than having impressive achievements on Vietnamese football fields. Even striker Wander is a "rejected" product of Quang Nam, and only appeared at Can Tho stadium in round 3.

Foreign player Patiyo is the brightest star. Although he is a rookie, Patiyo played for XSKT Can Tho in the 2016 season. He then moved to Than Quang Ninh, scoring 10 goals in the 2017 V.League, before returning to the Tay Do team.

After 4 rounds, Patiyo has scored 3 goals and will be the explosive force that Que Ngoc Hai and Hoang Van Khanh must pay attention to. Patiyo used to play for FLC Thanh Hoa and Quang Nam so he is no stranger to SLNA's defenders and playing style.

Sublimation of the ball

After defeating Cong Vinh's team 2-0 at Thong Nhat Stadium, SLNA continued to defeat Tampines Rovers with a score of 2-1 at Vinh Stadium. It seems that the Nghe An team is still in the process of assembling the main squad, not yet very stable in terms of playing style.

Coach Duc Thang is temporarily assured with the defense including Vu Hai in goal, Dinh Hoang, Ngoc Hai, Van Khanh as defenders, midfielders Khac Ngoc, Van Duc and the attack with Olaha.

National player Xuan Manh still has to play many roles, depending on the situation. Other positions such as left back, midfielder paired with Khac Ngoc, winger and striker paired with Olaha are still open. Although not focusing too much on the AFC Cup, SLNA is having results that are considered positive, while in the V-League, after the first win, they escaped the bottom of the rankings, but everything has just begun.

Striker Ho Tuan Tai scored the goal of the season. Photo: TA

If they win against the host SXKT.Can Tho, SLNA will enter the zero group, the Nghe An team is still hovering in the potential risk group.

Surprisingly, SLNA has scored 3 headers in 2 consecutive matches. Aerial combat has not been the strong point of the Vinh team, but Van Duc, Ngoc Hai and Olaha have shown how good they are at scoring goals from corner kicks. Conductor Khac Ngoc also had 2 assists, competing for the top assist king of V-League 2018.

The home team XSKT.Can Tho is not a very strong team but it is not easy to play against either. The two foreign players Wander and Patiyo, after 2 matches playing together, have a better understanding of each other. Foreign player Patiyo is especially dangerous when he moves to the right and suddenly accelerates straight into the 16.5m area.

The problem is whether coach Duc Thang and SLNA's coaching staff will continue to maintain the fire from AFC Cup to V-League 2018 or not?