Quang Ninh Coal - SLNA: The battle of two wings
(Baonghean.vn) - The history of playing away at Than.QN's Cam Pha Stadium has never been easy for SLNA. In the last 3 seasons, the Nghe team has always failed every time they played at Than.QN's stadium. The difficulties piled up when, in addition to the absence of Xuan Manh, Van Duc also lost goalkeeper Vu Hai.
Compared to last season and the first leg of V-League 2018, the current performance of the mining team is not as impressive. The team is still not used to the absence of Minh Tuan, Minh Tung or Van Hieu who transferred to play for FLC Thanh Hoa. Recently, naturalized player Trung Hieu also transferred to play for Saigon FC and made his mark at Thong Nhat Stadium.
Confronting the "cross saint"
Both the home team Than QN and the away team SLNA are aiming for the top 3. If they don't win to close the 4-point gap, coach Phan Thanh Hung's chance of winning a medal this season will probably go up in smoke.
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| "The Crossing Saint" Xuan Tu (2nd from left) is a name that Ngoc Duc cannot ignore. Photo: Internet |
However, coach Phan Thanh Hung's team is still not easy to defeat. The playing style is smooth again and every gap is impressively filled by the efforts of each individual.
Although midfielders Hai Huy and Hong Quan have returned after suspension, coach Phan Thanh Hung still has to rely on two foreign players: Teofilo Soares Eydison has scored 11 goals and Silva Dos Anios Joel Vinicius has also scored 8 goals. These two foreign players have accounted for nearly 60% of the goals scored by the mining team.
Providing ammunition for them is right winger - assist king Nghiem Xuan Tu, who created a remarkable milestone in his career when he reached 15 assists in V.League 2018. He also set a V-League record when he had 4 assists in 1 match, helping Than Quang Ninh defeat XSKT Can Tho with a score of 5-1.
At the age of 30, Xuan Tu no longer has many fast dribbles, quick and skillful ball handling on the wings. Instead, the "crossing saint" is more careful with corner kicks, taking advantage of the space on the wings to make quality crosses.
If Ngoc Duc, SLNA's left back, doesn't do a good job of blocking, goalkeeper Van Hung will have a hard time keeping a clean sheet.
Van Binh's mark
It is not difficult to see that in the first half, coach Phan Thanh Hung will use Vinicius and Eydison to destroy the strength and play of the away team. The home team will use many high and long balls towards Van Hung's goal to exploit the mistakes of this reserve goalkeeper. If they do not do a good job of defending from afar, allowing the "crossing saint" Xuan Tu to have free feet, SLNA's defense will certainly face many difficulties.
The pressure and speed of the match will be pushed up when Ngoc Hai and The Nhat have to jump continuously with 2 foreign players and show signs of fatigue. The main attack direction of the home team is on the right wing but Hong Quan is also the "killer" in situations where he sneaks behind Dinh Hoang to score.
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| “Killer” Eydison has scored 11 goals. Photo: Internet |
With high determination, home field advantage and a very relaxed spirit, Than Quang Ninh is ready for the battle with SLNA to gain 3 more points and maintain its position in the group of 3 strongest teams.
Surely coach Phan Thanh Hung understands SLNA's strategy of using cross-passes to allow players to run up quickly. Than Quang Ninh's defense system has revealed many shortcomings after two unfortunate draws against Hai Phong and Binh Duong.
Than Quang Ninh's defense is often in disarray, attracting opponents to break into the penalty area, lacking cover. This is an opportunity for Lynch from SLNA to shine with his good personal technique.
Midfielders Nguyen Sa and Hai Huy will face Van Binh and Khac Ngoc, players who are familiar with each other's playing style. In the last few matches, Khac Ngoc has been overloaded, so Van Binh's support in this match is considered decisive. Nghe An fans hope that Van Binh will "play to the end" because in the next match against FLC Thanh Hoa, he will be rested.
In terms of strength, the Nghe An team is at a disadvantage, losing both the goalkeeper position, foreign players and playmaking positions. The only advantage is that SLNA is playing in a situation where the opponent must win, meaning they must attack to score. If they seize the opportunity, SLNA will have the advantage, otherwise, they will return empty-handed for the fourth consecutive time.
EXPECTED LINEUP
Than QN:Tuan Linh; Thanh Hien, Thanh Hao, Van Viet, Xuan Hung, Xuan Tu, Nguyen Sa, Hai Huy, Hong Quan, Vinicius, Eydison
SLNA:Vu Hai; Ngoc Hai, Dinh Hoang, The Nhat, Ngoc Duc, Van Binh, The Cuong, Khac Ngoc, Xuan Toan, Lynch, Olaha
