HÀ NỘI –Sông Lam Nghệ An and SHB Đà Nẵng will play each other in the 10th round of the national V.League game at Chi Lăng Stadium in Đà Nẵng today.

Coach Ngô Quang Trường of Sông Lam Nghệ An and his assistants have been studying the tactics of Sài Gòn FC, FLC Thanh Hóa and Hà Nội T&T, teams that have beaten SHB Đà Nẵng recently.

The coach has also observed how midfielder Phan Thanh Hưng of Quảng Nam effectively marked Đà Nẵng’s best striker Gaston Merlo last season.

Trường will have to remain in the stands for this game following the red card he received last week for protesting referee Hà Anh Chiến’s decision to award a late, equalising penalty to FLC Thanh Hóa.

Meanwhile, coach Lê Huỳnh Đức’s SHB Đà Nẵng side have not won a match in four weeks.

His squad appears not to have found their rhythm yet.

Đức has not gotten the best from Lê Hoàng Thiên, Hồ Ngọc Thắng and Võ Huy Toàn, all members of the national team, due to various factors.

Thiên has been unable to recreate his performances of last season as part of the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and the U-23 team.

Thắng and Toàn have been injured and are targeting returning around July 3.

Argentinean striker Merlo and Jamaican Horace James are Đức’s top strikers, with eight goals between them after nine fixtures.

The highly touted James finally made his mark with a goal against Quảng Nam last week.

Meanwhile, Hải Phòng host Sanna Khánh Hòa. The hosts were voted team of the month for April, thanks to three consecutive wins helping them to set a record of eight unbeaten match in a row in the V.League

Coach Trương Việt Hoàng appears confident for the next match on home turf even though Errol Stevens, the team’s top scorer with seven goals, is suspended thanks to accumulating three yellow cards in his last three matches.

While his absence will leave a big hole in Hải Phòng’s line-up, Hoàng did not appear worried. “We have good replacements. We are not worried at all.”

Hải Phòng, who currently top the table, have pinned their hopes on Andre Diego Fagan and local forward Lê Văn Thắng.

Following their poor start to the season, Hà Nội T&T have found form. The team enjoyed four wins in a row, including a victory over Hải Phòng last week, boosted by new coach Chu Đình Nghiêm.

This weekend, Hà Nội T&T will visit Cần Thơ and prior to the game, striker Hoàng Vũ Samson will receive a prize for player of the month for April.

“My only secret is the truth. I have been with the club since its early days. I understand my players. I also know how to take advantage of their strong points and minimise their weaknesses,” Nghiêm said.

In the other two matches this round, second-placed FLC Thanh Hóa will play Sài Gòn FC at Thống Nhất Stadium in HCM City, while Hoàng Anh Gia Lai will entertain Long An on home turf in Pleiku City. -- VNS