SLNA Club erupted in joy after scoring the equalizer in the 90+4th minute, making the score 1-1.
SLNA: A Fading Past
Nghe An has always been considered one of the most promising footballing cradles in Vietnam, to the point that listing all the SLNA stars who have contributed to the Vietnamese national team would require a very long list.
In fact, the potential of our neighbor Thanh Hoa – a region with similarly harsh natural conditions – is no less significant. But Nghe An football has always been ahead and has the upper hand over its rivals thanks to the passionate and aggressive investment of the local government, to the point of becoming a provincial-level policy.
But in recent years, the team that once boasted 5 Vietnamese Golden Ball winners while playing at Vinh Stadium, held the record for 3 National Cup titles and 3 V-League titles… is now just a shadow of its former self.
Financial difficulties, coupled with a series of scandals and allegations of misconduct in youth football development, have caused the once dominant SLNA brand, boasting numerous records such as being the first team in Vietnam to reach 1,000 matches and 1,000 goals, to plummet.
Thanh Hoa FC is proudly leading the V-League 2024-2025 season.
A host of stars who once returned to Vinh Stadium with the dream of bringing their hometown back to the top have all left one after another. Coach Pham Anh Tuan now has the youngest team in V-League 2024-2025 at his disposal, with an average age of just 22.1.
Those young lads, still wet behind the ears, had to struggle to both play and learn from V-League experience, bearing the tremendous pressure of SLNA amidst the increasingly cold stands of Vinh Stadium as fans turned their backs after too many unfulfilled promises.
Last season, SLNA only avoided relegation at the last minute thanks to a better goal difference than their rivals Ha Tinh . This season, it's no surprise that the team from Nghe An continues to play quietly in the lower half of the table, with 4 points from 4 draws and 2 losses, ranking 12th.
Thanh Hoa FC often earns points when facing big teams like Hanoi FC.
Thanh Hoa Club: Strong in the golden era
Meanwhile, Thanh Hoa FC strongly seized the top spot, albeit with mixed feelings as they should have had a two-point lead over the rest of the league if they hadn't let a victory slip away in the final seconds of injury time against Hanoi FC.
The people of Thanh Hoa are not exaggerating their regret, because even though they are the most decorated team in history with 6 V-League titles, Hanoi FC is used to being defeated or held to draws after fierce confrontations, with only 2 wins in their last 7 matches.
The image of Thanh Hoa FC soaring to the top of the V-League and the group stage of the Southeast Asian Club Championship (despite still being without Rimario since the beginning of the tournament due to injury) is in stark contrast to the bleak situation of SLNA, who have gone six matches without a win.
Coach Popov and Thanh Hoa Club receive the Player of the Month award.
This creates a contrasting dynamic, as the visiting team Thanh Hoa will arrive at Vinh Stadium aiming for all three points, perhaps even a resounding victory, to build momentum for maintaining their top position until the end of round 9, the point at which the V-League gives way to the Vietnamese national team playing in the 2024 AFF Cup.
It's worth remembering that it's been 5 years since SLNA last won against Thanh Hoa FC (1-0 on April 14, 2019), followed by a streak of 5 losses in 9 matches and 4 draws in the V-League.
And let's not forget that Thanh Hoa FC is currently living in its most successful golden era in history, having won two consecutive National Cups and the National Super Cup, defeating powerful opponents such as Hanoi FC and Nam Dinh FC…
Will SLNA be able to secure their first victory?
In fact, despite the general difficulties, Thanh Hoa Club still has its own problems, a prime example being the incident where players collectively wrote letters seeking help due to delayed bonuses and signing fees at the beginning of this season.
However, the Thanh Hoa club management successfully retained coach Popov, finding flexible ways to disburse debts to stabilize the players' morale, allowing the Thanh Hoa ship to move forward strongly once again.
At 6 PM on November 10th, Vinh Stadium will once again witness the Thanh Hoa-Nghe An derby, where the home team SLNA has not found a V-League victory against their neighbor Thanh Hoa since 2019.
Despite playing away from home, Thanh Hoa FC will naturally be considered the favorites in every aspect. Perhaps the biggest advantage for coach Pham Anh Tuan's team in aiming for victory is their superiority.
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