A clash between Hue Football Club (white shirts) and Hanoi Youth Club on Thanh Tri Stadium. Photo: Hue Football Club.

After 9 matches, Coach Le Chi Nguyen's team has 16 points with 4 wins, 4 draws, and only 1 loss, ranking second in Group A, 2 points behind the leading team Hanoi Youth and 3 points ahead of chasing team PVF. Meanwhile, with 7 points after 10 matches (1 win, 4 draws, 5 losses), Phu Dong Youth Club is ranked first… from the bottom.

This gap reflects the current strength of the two teams. However, that doesn't mean Hue Football Club will have an easy match, especially when their opponent has "nothing to lose".

Entering this season's Second Division, Phu Dong Youth Club's greatest strengths lie in their ability to quickly transition between attacking and defensive phases, their bursts of speed on both flanks, their fearless fighting spirit, and some notable players such as Anh Thong, An Phat, Thanh Vinh, and Xuan Thang…

In the 0-0 draw against Hue Football Club in the first leg at Tu Do Stadium, despite not having much possession, they created significant pressure on the home team's defense with powerful bursts of speed down the flanks on every counter-attack.

However, at this point, Phu Dong Youth Club has revealed many limitations of an inexperienced team, and is no longer an "unknown quantity" in the tournament.

Although in the most recent round, Phu Dong Youth Club had a rather resounding 4-1 victory againstSHB Da Nang Youth Club, this was a win against an opponent with comparable strength and experience.

Prior to that, defeats against PVF, Hanoi Youth Club, etc., showed their weakness in maintaining positions, covering, and withstanding constant pressure from experienced teams. This is a "fatal flaw" that Hue Football Club can completely exploit.

The chances of the Hue team securing all three points against Phu Dong Youth Club at Tu Son Stadium are quite high. Photo: Hue Football Club

On the opposite side of the pitch, after 3 matches in the second leg, The team from the ancient capital presented a completely different image compared to the first leg. With 2 wins, 1 draw, scoring 8 goals and conceding only 2, not only did they improve their finishing ability, but Coach Le Chi Nguyen's players also showed their "cunning" through their ability to control the game.

First up was a 3-0 victory against SHB Da Nang Youth Club. Despite allowing their opponents more possession, Hue Football Club still managed to control the midfield, organize a tight defense, and launch extremely dangerous counter-attacks.

Next, in their 4-1 victory against the Ha Tinh Sports Training Center, the team from the ancient capital continued to demonstrate their tactical flexibility. They were able to proactively concede possession to "read" their opponents, but were also ready to press high up the pitch and overwhelm their opponents with four goals.

In their most recent match against Hanoi Youth FC at Thanh Tri Stadium, although they couldn't secure all three points, finishing with a 1-1 draw against the group A leaders was perfectly acceptable for Hue Football Club.

More importantly, over the three second-leg matches, despite the absence of some key players, Hue Football Club's central midfield combinations, overlapping runs, and attacks down the flanks have become more diverse, effective, and pragmatic, instead of focusing solely on ball control as in the first leg.

Returning to the match between Hue Football Club and Phu Dong Youth Club. Considering the current situation, Hue Football Club clearly has more advantages and a boost in morale after an unbeaten streak in the second half of the season.

However, the most important thing for Hue Football Club right now is composure. In a situation where they must win to avoid relegation, Phu Dong Youth Club will enter the match with a "nothing to lose" mentality, relying on their youth and speed.

Therefore, as long as they don't get drawn into this style of play, with the experience of a team that has competed in professional leagues for many years, along with their current form in terms of covering and finishing, securing all three points at Tu Son Stadium shouldn't be too difficult for Coach Le Chi Nguyen's team.

HAN DANG

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/the-thao/rong-duong-vao-chung-ket-166085.html