Notably, in the match against Ha Tinh on the evening of May 31st, within the framework of Round 10 of the V-League 2023, despite having the home advantage at Thien Truong Stadium, Nam Dinh still failed to secure all 3 points. Although considered the stronger team than Ha Tinh, Nam Dinh allowed the visitors to take the lead and had to fight hard to salvage a point at home (the two teams drew 1-1).

It is evident that the playing style of coach Vu Hong Viet's team still has flaws, especially in the defensive system, as they continuously lost crucial points in the first phase of the 2023 V-League season, where the top teams were actively accumulating points to qualify for the second phase to compete for the championship.

Nam Dinh's foreign player Samuel is not the type of striker who is good at heading the ball. Photo: VPF

Against a defensively solid and disciplined team like Ha Tinh, instead of employing a variety of attacking options, Nam Dinh focused on long passes and high balls into the penalty area to take advantage of the physique of their two foreign strikers. However, all of these attacks were either neutralized by Ha Tinh's defense or resulted in inaccurate passes from the home team at Thien Truong Stadium.

It's clear that Coach Vu Hong Viet's team's recent playing style has been figured out by their opponents. Against a team like Ha Tinh, which plays a defensive counter-attacking style, Nam Dinh clearly had the advantage of controlling possession and implementing their game plan. Unfortunately, Nam Dinh's attacking options proved quite ineffective, lacking sharpness in their attacks. With the first phase of the V-League 2023 nearing its end, other teams have a good understanding of Nam Dinh's playing style and personnel. Therefore, to achieve a high position in the standings at the end of the season, Coach Vu Hong Viet needs to boldly change his team's playing style, limiting the overuse of long balls and aerial passes. Nam Dinh should play a short, intricate passing game, which would be more suitable for their current players, who possess both technical skill and speed.

Nam Dinh also needs a center forward who can act as a false striker to distribute the ball from midfield to the penalty area, making their attacks more effective, and to improve their ability to convert opportunities into goals.

LE DUC DUONG