Midfielder Song Lam Nghe An: When will the old days come back?

After the round 11 match ended,Coach Huy Hoangstated the reason for the draw against Dong A Thanh Hoa: "The lack of Olaha in the attack is the main reason why Song Lam Nghe An did not create many storms on the away team's goal. Van Duc and Oseni did not have partners to create breakthroughs."

Coach Huy Hoang answers questions at the press conference after the match with neighboring team Thanh Hoa. Photo: Chung Le

The reality of the matterOlaha's absenceis just a small reason because football is a team sport, the absence of some individuals will be compensated by others. Song Lam Nghe An's playing style from the beginning of the tournament until now depends largely on the situations of the two wings or set pieces. The number of 12/13 goals coming from the two wings or from free kicks proves this dependence. Against well-organized defenses, this playing style is difficult to create breakthroughs.

In such a deadlocked situation, Phan Nhu Thuat's deadly passes, Ho Khac Ngoc's tight maneuvers and Le Quoc Vuong and Ngo Hoang Thinh's long-range "cannon shots" were needed.

Midfielder Phan Nhu Thuat (number 8) at the age of 16 at the 2000 AFC U16 Championship. Photo: Quang Minh

That is also the inherent weakness in the midfield of the Nghe An team over the years. Since midfielder Ho Khac Ngoc left Song Lam Nghe An to join Viettel, the Nghe An team has not produced another excellent central midfielder. The duo Dang Van Lam and Bui Dinh Chau were at times considered promising. However, injuries and unstable performance have caused the above central midfielder pair to play only averagely. The most memorable moment of this duo was Dang Van Lam's goal that defeated Hanoi Club right at Hang Day Stadium in V.League 2020.

Looking at the candidate teams for the top of V.League this season, we cannot help but feel sad. Hanoi Club with Dung "chip" as the leader next to Thai Quy, Duc Huy or U23 midfielder Hai Long. Hoang Anh Gia Lai with the trio of national players Tuan Anh, Xuan Truong, Minh Vuong. The current champion Viettel with the 2022 Vietnam Golden Ball Nguyen Hoang Duc, Uzbek midfielder Jaha and even the former player of Song Lam Nghe An Ho Khac Ngoc... The above outstanding factors contribute to making the playing style of the above teams flexible and maintaining the desired game position of the coaches.

The domestic players are playing at a fair level, while the foreign players are not much better. Gone are the days when Iddi Batambuze or Hector Kerin dominated the midfield. With a strong physical foundation, basic personal skills and excellent tactical vision, they are the ones who contributed a lot to the past successes of the Nghe An team. The contract of Mark O'Ojong is expected to add steel to the midfield of Song Lam Nghe An in V.League 2022, but before he could prove much, this player suffered a serious injury and officially missed the rest of the season.

Song Lam Nghe An lost to TopenLand Binh Dinh right at Vinh Stadium. Photo: Chung Nguyen

There were times when Song Lam Nghe An was suffocated by opponents even though they were playing right at Vinh Stadium, one of which was the defeat against TopenLand Binh Dinh. In the midst of the crisis, the move to put Xuan Manh in the center of midfield brought surprising results. With his physical strength, personal technique, and ability to block, these are the strengths of this Vietnamese national player. With his escape from pressing, his opening passes to the two wings, or his one-on-one situations, Xuan Manh somewhat brought positive signals to the midfield of Song Lam Nghe An. However, Manh "Kalou" alone could not maintain the game for the entire 90 minutes. The red card of defender Tran Dinh Hoang in the match against Ho Chi Minh City Club was also a consequence of the minutes when the Nghe team was down and lost the game.

Along with bringing in young midfieldersTran Nam Haipromoted to the first team and tried out the Spanish central midfielderMario Arces, Song Lam Nghe An are trying to overcome the weakness in the midfield. If there is a classy central midfielder, Xuan Manh's burden will be shared. The three strikers above will have a quality ball supply. The Nghe team's style of play will no longer depend on boring flank attacks or set pieces. Even the wing attacks will be more varied, making it difficult for opponents to react.

Foreign player Mario Arqués in the first training sessions at Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Duc Anh

Winning and losing are normal things in football, however, after matches with unsatisfactory results, the Nghe An team must learn lessons to improve day by day, that is important. Nghe An fans always hope that their hometown team will improve day by day to return to being a force in Vietnamese football./.