V.LEAGUE 2015 Round 16: SLNA's "Nightmare"

(Baonghean) - Dong Nai is currently at the bottom of the league table, but they are an opponent that has repeatedly caused heartbreak for the Nghe An players. Most recently, in the first leg match played at Vinh Stadium, SLNA lost to their opponent. In the current V.League season, Dong Nai is a formidable opponent for SLNA, and this trip to the South gives coach Quang Truong's team plenty of reasons to be apprehensive.

For the second consecutive season, SLNA suffered a defeat against Dong Nai at home. This is a major disappointment, as in their five previous encounters in the V.League, SLNA has mostly drawn or lost against Dong Nai.

Ironically, it's not the big teams in V.League like B.Binh Duong, HN.T&T, DT.LA, or SHB.Da Nang; Dong Nai is the opponent that SLNA has identified as the most important to defeat at the moment. Having only played in the professional league for two seasons, Dong Nai has already given SLNA a tough time.

The SLNA players were visibly upset after their 1-2 defeat to Dong Nai in the first leg of the 2015 season.

In the 2013 season, Huu Thang's SLNA played exceptionally well in the early stages. They won convincingly and at one point, created an 8-point gap with the second-placed team. However, they then fell into a crisis with a series of losses and draws. In that situation, they faced Dong Nai at Vinh Stadium, and everyone thought Huu Thang's players would vent their anger and end the crisis. But in that match, SLNA conceded a goal in the final minute, accepting a single point and losing their top spot in the standings. The pain was compounded when, after the match, coach Tran Binh Su publicly stated to the press: "SLNA is just average."

The Nghe An team had a chance to settle the score in their final match of the 2013 season against Dong Nai, with nothing left to play for. They took an early lead, but then played with utter determination, winning 2-1 and painfully pushing SLNA out of the top 3. Following that match, General Director Nguyen Hong Thanh, Head Coach Nguyen Huu Thang, and many key players like Trong Hoang, Van Hoan, and Van Binh were deeply shocked.

The name Dong Nai thus became a major obsession, and from coaches to players in Nghe An, everyone was determined to defeat it to regain their honor. However, the reality was a completely different story, as SLNA had failed countless times before, despite the loud pronouncements prior to the match. Therefore, on this trip to Dong Nai, Coach Ngo Quang Truong and his team were very cautious, even somewhat apprehensive about facing their "nemesis" opponent again.

In the recent 14th round, SLNA played at home against DT.LA. Despite a determined opponent and numerous difficulties, the Nghe An team ultimately won 2-1. This victory and three points relieved a lot of pressure on coach Ngo Quang Truong and his team. After four consecutive matches ending in draws or losses, the joy of victory finally came to SLNA, boosting Quang Tinh and his teammates' confidence for the remainder of the V.League season.

With 3 points, SLNA has also returned to the top of the table and, more importantly, their morale has improved. Facing Dong Nai at this time, theoretically, SLNA holds all the advantages. While the Nghe An team is in high spirits after their recent victory, Dong Nai continues to sink deeper into crisis, having failed to score in several consecutive matches and sitting at the bottom of the table. Not only is their performance declining, but the team is also facing difficult internal problems.

Many advantages favor Quang Truong's team, but as mentioned, Dong Nai is a formidable opponent, and history shows that, despite having the "right time, right place, and right people" advantage, SLNA has often failed. This is truly a haunting memory, and before the return match between the two teams at Dong Nai's stadium (tomorrow, July 15th), many players from Nghe An province are probably still feeling nervous.

Vinh Liem