Coach Huy Hoang: 'SLNA pays the price for the defense'

In the 36th minute, when the score was 0-0, Pham Xuan Manh blocked a pass, but handled it slowly and kicked the ball at Nguyen Phong Hong Duy. The ball then headed for Thai Ba Sang's position, but the visitors' center-back headed the wrong way. After robbing, Nnamani Samuel knocked over goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang for Hong Duy to go down the mattress into an empty net.

SLNA then pushed up the offensive formation but could not find an equalizer. The 1-0 result was maintained, causing them to suffer their first defeat in the V-League 2023 after the first five rounds were drawn. Coach Nguyen Huy Hoang's army fell to 11th with only three points more than the bottom of the table Da Nang, while kicking more than one match.

"I encourage the players a lot, because this match is very difficult. They tried their best for 90 minutes," coach Nguyen Huy Hoang said after the defeat at Thien Truong Stadium. "We had many opportunities but could not take advantage. The defense appeared wrong, so we had to pay the price."

This match, SLNA controlled the ball 51% and launched 14 shots, but most of them went out. They only had two really dangerous situations, but both were blocked by the old man, goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh. In the 32nd minute, Dinh Xuan Tien eliminated two Nam Dinh players, but the shot from outside the penalty area was pushed by goalkeeper Nguyen Manh with his fingertips. In the 71st minute, the 1.97-meter-tall player Jordy Kandolo hit the top of the head, but the goalkeeper of Nam Dinh once again punched the ball. After the match, coach Nguyen Huy Hoang exclaimed: "Nguyen Manh every match is good".

SLNA is one of the teams with the largest number of fans in Vietnam. In previous seasons, hundreds of Nghe fans followed the home team to Thien Truong, but this year there were only 11 people. Mr. Hoang said: "Five rounds ago, we didn't play well, the audience didn't accept it. SLNA needed the wins to pull the fans back."

He also said that the current problem of SLNA is that the striker is not good at finishing, and it is the job of the coaching staff to improve this stage.

SLNA will play their next match on April 15 against HAGL, the team is unbeaten with five draws and one win.