Fairy tale for Song Lam Nghe An?

Chuyện cổ tích cho Sông Lam Nghệ An? - Ảnh 1. — Hanoi Police players want to break the curse by defeating host SLNA (middle) at Vinh Stadium to win the National Cup - Photo: VPF

Before the match, SLNA was rated much lower than the Hanoi Police Club. But that is why fans are looking forward to a fairy tale appearing at Vinh Stadium tonight.

Fill Vinh Stadium

Perhaps many people do not believe that SLNA will come back so strongly at the end of the season. That is because about half a month ago, coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team were still facing many worries about their fate in the race to avoid relegation to the V-League, not to mention competing for the National Cup championship like now.

SLNA was then in a relegation spiral and was only safe for one round after a 3-2 win over Hoang Anh Gia Lai on June 15. Not to mention the information that the team's main sponsor had asked to withdraw and return SLNA to the locality was leaked, causing people to waver.

Despite the immediate difficulties, SLNA remained in the 12th position out of 14 teams with 26 points after 26 rounds. While direct opponents were busy playing the play-off or being relegated, SLNA had to prepare for the semi-final of the National Cup. At that time, the sponsor's announcement of the good news that he would stay with the club was like a "doping" dose for SLNA players.

And it helped SLNA play a great match against Becamex Binh Duong to win 3-2. Most importantly, the leader Michael Olaha returned at the right time with a double goal and an assist. Therefore, this Nigerian striker is the top threat for the Hanoi Police Club in the final match. Notably, the Hanoi Police Club is also the team that is said to be pursuing Olaha.

These factors give coach Phan Nhu Thuat enough confidence to call on Nghe An fans to fill Vinh stadium to make the most of the home field advantage. In Vietnamese football, Nghe An fans always have their own identity and are the "12th player" throughout SLNA's journey.

Fairy tale or first title?

SLNA has twice held Cong An Ha Noi to a 1-1 draw. If they continue to cause shocks, SLNA will complete the fairy tale in the 2024-2025 season. However, coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team are at a completely different extreme compared to their opponents. However, football is attractive thanks to the element of surprise and the audience is waiting for SLNA to do it.

In contrast, Hanoi Police Club is having a busy season under coach Alexandre Polking. The Brazilian-German coach has no titles in hand except for the silver medal of the 2024-2025 ASEAN Club Championship and the bronze medal of the 2024-2025 V-League.

There is no denying the efforts of Quang Hai and his teammates. It is felt that this star team needs a title to affirm, and also to avoid the reputation of a season without a trophy in the three arenas they participated in. The National Cup and the opponent SLNA are therefore considered "a piece of cake that is easy to eat" for Mr. Polking and his team.

Unlike SLNA who have nothing to lose in this match, the away team Cong An Ha Noi has too many "weapons" to knock out the home team. That is Alan Grafite - V-League's joint top scorer with 14 goals - who is eager to bring home the first title for coach Polking with Quang Hai.

The only disadvantage for Hanoi Police is that they cannot play at a neutral stadium. Vinh Stadium is always on the "black list" of foreign coaches. This match will be officiated by two Malaysian referees. At the same time, VAR will also be applied to bring absolute accuracy.

The bonus for the 2024 - 2025 National Cup champion team is 5 billion VND, the runner-up is 1.5 billion VND.

QUANG THINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-co-tich-cho-song-lam-nghe-an-20250629082325666.htm