18:59, 31/08/2023
Dak Lak Football Club failed to overcome Binh Phuoc in the play-off match to compete for promotion to play in the National First Division.
Certainly, that was not a result that satisfied the fans, because the team did not complete the goal as expected by the fans. However, from a very objective perspective, Coach Tran Phi Ai and his team did everything within their ability…
It is understandable to sympathize with the disappointment and disappointment of the fans of the "Tay Nguyen Elephants" about the loss to Binh Phuoc, especially when Dak Lak had the best opportunities, if not to say that at times it seemed like they had touched the promotion ticket. Specifically, in the first play-off match with Dong Nai, Coach Tran Phi Ai and his team had the best start, leading the opponent quite early in the first half, but then let the opponent come back to win 2-1, thereby winning the direct promotion ticket. However, the team from the mountain town of Ban Me still had a chance to get through the narrow "door" of Tre SHB Da Nang, the team that lost to Dong Thap in the remaining play-off match, and Coach Tran Phi Ai and his team did it, even with an extremely convincing performance that increased the confidence and expectations of the audience, before the team had to overcome the final "gate" of Binh Phuoc.
That belief was reinforced when, in that decisive match, Dak Lak once again took the lead over their opponents quite early thanks to a goal by the Xe Dang midfielder wearing the number 9 Tiger jersey. At this time, everyone who watched the match on live television believed that, with the lesson learned from the previous defeat when leading against Dong Nai, Dak Lak would not repeat the mistake.
That belief lasted until the 70th minute, when in a rare situation in the match, Binh Phuoc approached goalkeeper Ngoc Duy's goal and Xuan Quy's touch helped Binh Phuoc equalize, bringing the match into a penalty shootout, only for Dak Lak to collapse painfully after a 3-4 defeat and have to wait at least another year for a chance to be promoted.
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| The touching image is worth the fans sympathizing with Bao Chung ( in yellow shirt ) when he missed the decisive penalty kick. |
The disappointment and pain were so great, stemming from their love for the team, that a part of the fans expressed anger towards the players, with many harshly criticizing them, especially the players who missed the penalty kicks, Nhu Tan and Bao Chung.
But that is really unfair to the two players and to the whole team. Just look back at the image of Bao Chung holding his head when he missed the decisive penalty; the tears that fell on the faces of many players; the bewildered look of the entire coaching staff when referee Tran Dinh Thinh's whistle sounded, after the final round of kicks... then we can feel that it is the players and the coaching staff who deserve encouragement and sympathy, because all the efforts and attempts of the team have gone up in smoke with the unlucky penalty shootout, where everyone can make mistakes, even a world-class player.
Football is a game, and we need to accept and face failure, because it is an inevitable, unchangeable part of the game. And when looking at the performance throughout the season of Coach Tran Phi Ai and his team, from a professional, non-emotional perspective, experts all agree that the failure of Dak Lak Football Club in the 2023 season is only a temporary delay of another year, not the end.
A young team, always united, playing with all their ability, perhaps just lacking a little experience and "luck" not being on their side. Under the guidance of strategist Tran Phi Ai, "the Tay Nguyen elephants" have another year to perfect the team, ready for a more successful new season.
So the audience should not turn their backs too quickly, but continue to accompany the team for another year to enjoy the joy when the "Tay Nguyen elephants" are present in V.league 2 as soon as possible as promised.
Dang Trieu
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