HCM City FC midfield "patched up"

In round 17 of V-League 2024-2025, Ho Chi Minh City Club will host Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) at Thong Nhat Stadium at 7:15 p.m. on April 6 (FPT Play).

The home team was held to a draw by their opponents in the first leg and is in a depleted position ahead of the rematch.

On the V-League rankings, Ho Chi Minh City FC is temporarily ranked 10th with 19 points, 6 points more than the 2 teams at the bottom of the table. Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team can enter the top 6 if they win against SLNA in round 17 but will also be relegated if they lose. Previously, the "red battleship" suffered a 1-3 defeat at Tam Ky Stadium of Quang Nam in round 16.

Ho Chi Minh City Club is determined to win 3 points in round 17 to increase its chance of staying in the league. Photo: VPF

Before round 17, coach Phung Thanh Phuong lost two key players due to suspension: defender Tran Manh Cuong and midfielder Endrick Dos Santos. This duo contributed greatly to helping Ho Chi Minh City FC gain important points, being two of the three players who scored the most goals for the Thong Nhat Stadium team this season.

There are many options to replace the position left by Manh Cuong, but finding a suitable person to replace Endrick's role as "conductor" in the midfield is a difficult problem for coach Phung Thanh Phuong. Endrick can also finish in a variety of ways when supporting the attack.

At the present time, Nguyen Thanh Khoi's level can fulfill the role of midfielder in the Ho Chi Minh City Club squad. Although only 1.65 m tall, Thanh Khoi has a strong physique, attacking and defending regularly. When placed in the midfield, Thanh Khoi will become a versatile "sweeper", strong in contesting, recovering the ball and intercepting from afar.

Thanh Khoi is a product of Hoang Anh Gia Lai training center, possessing an intelligent playing style, modern tactical vision, and creative passing ability. In the U19 and U23 Vietnam team, Thanh Khoi also shined with memorable goals.

However, his unimpressive appearance made the Hue- born player lose out to his colleagues when competing for a place in the first team. Therefore, when Thanh Khoi joined Ho Chi Minh City Club at the end of 2022, this midfielder had to play in an out-of-form position, getting used to the role of supporting and blocking from afar.

In the 2023-2024 season, Thanh Khoi will play 20 matches in the V-League, including 16 times in the starting lineup. This season, the 23-year-old player has been continuously trusted by coach Phung Thanh Phuong to be given the opportunity to play from the start.

SLNA is "reviving" under coach Phan Nhu Thuat. In the last 5 matches, SLNA won 3, drew 1 and lost only once to the home team Binh Duong. Coach Phan Nhu Thuat's team also caused a surprise when they entered the semi-finals of the National Cup. The great spiritual encouragement will motivate the Nghe An team to confidently face Ho Chi Minh City Club in a "6-point" match.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tuyen-giua-clb-tp-hcm-chap-va-196250405211857927.htm