Ninh Binh Club: Can their offense compensate for their weak defense?

With a Spanish coach and a host of attacking stars in their squad, Ninh Binh FC is pursuing an attractive, entertaining style of play, but to become champions, the "Mountain Goats" also need to focus on defense. Balance seems to be what Hoang Duc and his teammates are still lacking.

THE PARADOX OF OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE

Undeniably, Ninh Binh FC possesses an enviable attacking line. With 28 goals in 12 matches, coach Gerard Albadalejo's team has an average of over 2.3 goals per game (the highest in the V-League this season), a figure that would make any defense wary. The presence of stars like Hoang Duc, Quoc Viet, Gustavo, Geovane… is making the "Mountain Goats'" playing style more dynamic and explosive. However, in contrast to the strikers' brilliance, the defense is becoming the team's Achilles' heel.

Tien Anh (left) is the only defender that Ninh Binh Club added in the middle of the season.

PHOTO: MINH TU

To date, goalkeeper Dang Van Lam's net has been breached 14 times (an average of 1.17 goals conceded per match). To illustrate the difference, consider their direct rivals in the championship race: Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) has only conceded 8 goals, while The Cong Viettel has conceded 9. Conceding nearly twice as many goals as their closest rivals is alarming. This is partly why Ninh Binh FC has dropped to second place in the standings.

In top-level football, attacking can help a team win matches, but defense is the "key" to championships. Last season, Nam Dinh FC topped the league based on a solid defense, conceding only 0.69 goals per game, significantly lower than Ninh Binh FC's 1.17. If they don't improve soon, Coach Albadalejo's team could be left far behind by rivals CAHN, or even overtaken by The Cong Viettel.

" Gambling King" is unpredictable.

With an already strong attack, Ninh Binh FC is further strengthening its firepower. After recruiting young winger Le Van Thuan, the team from the ancient capital added another quality signing in Fred Friday to replace the injured foreign player Dos Anjos. Notably, Friday is currently second in the league's top scorer list with 7 goals. Thus, Ninh Binh FC now has four high-quality strikers in top form. Besides the new signing from Hai Phong FC, the other three are Hoang Duc, Gustavo (both with 5 goals), and Geovane (3 goals). The addition of a quality striker like Friday shows the ambition to "compensate for defensive weaknesses with offense," using overwhelming strength to crush opponents instead of resorting to defensive tactics. This is a high-stakes gamble for coach Albadalejo, as it places immense pressure on the attacking players.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, the reinforcements to the defensive system have been rather modest. Bringing in Truong Tien Anh, a versatile player who tends to play wide, is a good move, but perhaps not enough. Tien Anh can bring mobility, tenacious marking, and good attacking support, but that's not sufficient. Ninh Binh FC's defense needs more outstanding central defenders to make goalkeeper Van Lam's goal safer and more secure in the context of V-League teams' increasingly aggressive attacks.

The V-League still has a long way to go, and title contenders like CAHN and The Cong Viettel are relentlessly pursuing them. If Ninh Binh FC cannot improve their defensive capabilities and cohesion between the lines, they risk a situation where their attack is strong but their defense is weak. Will Coach Albadalejo's attacking philosophy be enough to propel the team to greater heights, or will this imbalance lead to regret?

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-ninh-binh-cong-du-bu-cho-thu-185260205211053103.htm