Football

HÀ NỘI — Hoàng Anh Gia Lai are seeking a win in the V. League this weekend after three losses in a row but their task looks difficult.

The reason for that is their rivals is Quảng Nam FC who are one of the top three teams.

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, currently in 11th position, received good news when they were informed that their best scorer Trần Minh Vương could return to play after weeks of injury. Their striker Nguyễn Văn Toàn who has not scored in the national league for 900 minutes finally scored a goal although it was for the national team earlier this week.

However, they also have problems.

Apart from Toàn, the team is home to three other members of the national squad who worked hard in the Việt Nam vs Afghanistan game on Tuesday. They then took part in a 30-hour flight back home yesterday before another domestic flight to Pleiku City.

They had just around an hour to prepare for the match. These U23 players were said to have been overworked playing not just for his club but also for the national teams. The quartet has played nearly 3,500 minutes and scored seven goals in the V. League while being regular members of the U-23 and the senior teams in every tournament this year.

However, coach Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn has not found any substitutes who can take charge of their positions to allow them some rest. Luckily, all of them are in good form.

 “I don’t think that Phượng and Toàn had any problem with physique after that match. They are young and they recover quickly. Two days is enough for them to rest and train to play well,” said football expert Nguyễn Thành Vinh.

 “Hoàng Anh Gia Lai lost three matches ahead of this round. In these matches, both Phượng and Toàn did not score. I believe that the time they spent with the national team helped them to find their form and scoring skills back. They had one goal each. These goals will encourage them a lot,” said Vinh, a former coach.

 “Two other players are A Hoàng and Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy, who enjoyed their first opportunity with the national team. The feeling is a strong motivator for them to try harder for the second time,” he said.

 “Facing Quảng Nam, who lost only one match, is a big challenge to them. But Phượng and Toàn will help them gain at least one point.”

Quảng Nam who played well on an away ground also had two players competing in the March 28 match. Captain Đinh Thanh Trung and midfielder Huy Hùng also suffered the same problem with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai’s quartet.

Coach Hoàng Văn Phúc and his team are in Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and show their strong determination to win.

The team will have a chance to jump to the top of the ranking if they win because the two leading club Hà Nội FC and FLC Thanh Hóa will not play this weekend.

Their key striker Junior Claudecir who is back after his ban in the 10th round last week shared that Hoàng Anh Gia Lai were a good team who played nice football. But his team had carefully prepared for the match and he believed in a positive result.

In their three last matches, Quảng Nam has won all.

The 10th round will see a meet of two last week winners Hải Phòng and Sông Lam Nghệ An.

A win over HCM City lifted Hải Phòng to No 4 in the ranking. A win tomorrow will push them to top three.

Former champions Sông Lam Nghệ An also need another win to improve their current 10th position. But history stands on the other side. Hải Phòng went home as the winners after their five meets recently.

In Đà Nẵng, SHB Đà Nẵng will host Sanna Khánh Hòa. They could also enter the top three if they can score a big win.

Bottom-placed Long An face a challenge in their visit to Sài Gòn FC who are a tough team on home turf.

Former champions Becamex Bình Dương and HCM City FC, two losers last week will meet at the Gò Đậu Stadium tomorrow.

It is a clash of three-time winners who are very close to the SOS area and the freshmen who are climbing to the upper half of the ranking table. — VNS