Van Vinh in SLNA's tactical scheme.

(Baonghean.vn) - It's no coincidence that in the two matches where veteran midfielder Van Vinh was in the starting lineup, SLNA won both games with the same score of 2-1 against hosts Long An and visitors SHB Da Nang.

Upon returning to SLNA, Van Vinh had already decided that his official position would be on the bench. But whenever he stepped onto the field, this "veteran" played with extreme enthusiasm and a certain cunning, instilling confidence in his teammates. Last year, Van Vinh had a fantastic game on the Thanh Hoa pitch; if it weren't for the biased refereeing of Ha Anh Chien, it would have been a truly memorable experience for Van Vinh.

Van Vinh (in white shirt) played with great determination against FLC Thanh Hoa. Photo: Internet.

Frankly, Van Vinh's return to SLNA was a surprise, even more surprising was that the coaching staff assigned him to play central midfield, a position that demands a lot of stamina. With The Cuong's return and SLNA lacking a playmaker, Van Vinh playing central midfield is not a bad solution. For two seasons, the SLNA coaching staff has tried 5-6 players in the central midfield pairing but has never been satisfied.

The pairings of Khac Ngoc-Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc-Ngoc Toan, etc., only perform well in blocking and recovering the ball. When in possession, the ability of the central midfielders to coordinate with the wing midfielders and forwards is not very effective. V-League coaches have all recognized the weakness of SLNA's midfielders: they rely heavily on medium and long passes, lacking the element of surprise, making it easy to disrupt the Nghe An team's playing style.

In the two victories, Van Vinh was paired with two different younger players: Ngoc Toan in Tan An and Khac Ngoc on the Vinh pitch. Indeed, both players shone, and Khac Ngoc even impressed coach Huu Thang with a spectacular long-range shot that found the back of the net, a feat rarely seen on European football pitches.

Van Vinh (in white shirt) is currently the main attacker for SLNA team. Photo: Internet.

As an experienced player, Van Vinh knows how to manage his energy, playing almost the entire match and knowing when to unleash his strength in tackles. With his stable individual technique, Van Vinh confidently held the ball, skillfully shielding it to prevent the opponent from increasing the pace of the game. Playing alongside senior players like Van Vinh, Ngoc Toan, and Khac Ngoc added confidence, ensuring the distance between SLNA's two central midfielders was always maintained, effectively preventing counter-attacks.

Outside, coach Le Huynh Duc shook his head several times as foreign player Eydison was skillfully shielded by Van Vinh, who used the wet ball on the slippery pitch to make him slide. While against Vu Phong, SLNA's number 7 didn't rush forward but waited for teammates to provide support, against striker Duc Chinh, Van Vinh tackled very quickly and quite aggressively. At 34, Van Vinh no longer has the speed he once did, but his cunning in each tackle and pass remains undiminished.

Perhaps the SHB Da Nang coaching staff and players were quite surprised when Khac Ngoc was the one who took the shot to score the second goal, because normally after the equalizer at 1-1, Van Vinh would be the one playing further forward. Calculating that the pitch conditions were not favorable for the opponent's quick counter-attacking style, and trusting veteran Van Vinh to handle defensive duties from afar, the SLNA coaching staff played a risky game and it paid off.

Certainly, having passed the peak of his career, Van Vinh is merely a "strategic asset," and the SLNA coaching staff will choose which matches to field him in. From a professional standpoint, we highly appreciate his efforts in training and his awareness of maintaining his fitness, which allowed this player born in 1984 to last until the final minutes of the "heated" match against SHB Da Nang.

AT