Round 14 V.League: Can Song Lam Nghe An stop Hanoi Club?

After the endfirst leg,Hanoi FC are the leaders of the table with 29 points, 3 wins ahead of the 2nd placed team, Song Lam Nghe An. With a series of 7 consecutive wins, it is difficult to stop the Capital team at the moment.

The style of play of Hanoi Club in V.League 2022 is very different from previous seasons. People no longer see the intense attacks or high-level pressing. There are times when the team from the capital is the one being pressured. The "superior" situation that the teams have created against Hanoi Club makes them mistakenly think that they are facing an "underdog" Hanoi. However, this is the trap that coach Chun Jeaho and his team have set up. When the opponent is busy attacking, that is when Van Quyet, Tuan Hai or Siladji launch fatal blows to end the match.

The match between Hanoi FC - Song Lam Nghe An is the highlight match of the 10th round of V-League 2022. Photo: Chung Nguyen

Returning to the match in round 14, what the whole country is looking forward to is Song Lam Nghe An stopping the 7-match winning streak of Hanoi Club. Playing at home is a huge advantage for Song Lam Nghe An. At Vinh Stadium this season, the Nghe team won 4 matches, drew 1 match and lost only 1 match. This achievement is only behind Hanoi Club. However, the team led by coach Chun Jeaho is also a team that plays very well away from home with 4 wins, 1 draw and only lost 1 match against SHB Da Nang.

After 13 matches of the first leg, it can be said that the strongest point of the Nghe An team is the defense. Under the command of Captain Que Ngoc Hai,defenseSong Lam Nghe An played quite tightly, especially at home, coach Huy Hoang and his team only conceded 1 goal (a 1-2 loss to Toepenland Binh Dinh). However, when facing the attack of Hanoi Club, the defense of the Nghe An team must always maintain the necessary concentration, limit their attacks to create gaps behind them for Tuan Hai, Siladji and Mujan Tonci to exploit. In addition, Mario and Pham Xuan Manh must constantly actively support the defense to lock down the explosive players Hung Dung and Van Quyet of the away team.

Statistics after 13 first leg matches of V.League 2022 show that Song Lam Nghe An has not earned a single point if the opponent is leading. Meanwhile, Hanoi Club has only lost points once after leading the opponent (a 1-1 draw with Nam Dinh Club at Thien Truong Stadium). Therefore, it can be said that Song Lam Nghe An's first priority in this rematch is to block all entrances to goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang's goal.

A training session of Song Lam Nghe An players. Photo: Duc Anh

With the maximum concentration of personnel on the defensive front, the attacking ability of the Nghe team will be reduced. Of course, Song Lam Nghe An cannot play passive defense against Hanoi Club. Coach Huy Hoang's team needs quick transitions from defense to attack. To do that, the roles of Xuan Manh and Mario are very important. The pressing escapes and transition passes combined with the mobility of Olaha and Phan Van Duc in the attack will help Song Lam Nghe An have opportunities in this match. In addition, set pieces will also be one of the options that Nguyen Huy Hoang and his team must consider. In the first leg, it was Olaha who opened the score from a corner kick. In important matches like this, the attack cannot waste golden opportunities like in previous matches.

One more point to note forSong Lam Nghe An playersThat is to limit the "extra movements" in this key match. After 13 rounds of V.League this year, Hanoi Club is one of the teams that received the most "favors" from the referees. If Olaha's mistake in the first leg continues to happen at Vinh Stadium, it will be very difficult for his teammates to correct their mistakes.

Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every battle. With a reasonable strategy, along with the determination of the players and the enthusiastic support of the home fans, the Nghe An team can absolutely score points against the Hanoi Club./.