Coach Văn Sỹ Sơn directly pointed out the reason behind SLNA's 1-3 loss to Hà Nội

According to Coach Văn Sỹ Sơn, the difference in players and experience caused SLNA to suffer a significant 1-3 loss to Hà Nội FC.

Comments after the 1-3 loss to Hà Nội FC, the head coach of SLNA - Văn Sỹ Sơn admitted that although the coaching staff had a long preparation period, the limited squad put Sông Lam Nghệ An at a disadvantage.

“Hà Nội FC is a very strong team, both in terms of players and experience. I take full responsibility for this defeat. We had a fairly long break to train and rebuild the team. However, the reality is that SLNA currently only has this group of players. Adding more is very difficult, so the coaching staff has to work with what we have and try to maximize cohesion,"Mr. Sơn said.

Elaborating on the technical issues, Coach Văn Sỹ Sơn mentioned that the shortage of personnel, especially in defense, is a major obstacle: “Basically, our squad has not changed much compared to the first phase. Some players just returned from injury, their fitness and match intensity are not yet at the best level. When facing opponents who play at a high tempo, they struggle.” 

Regarding tactical and personnel adjustments in the second half, Coach Văn Sỹ Sơn stated that the coaching staff needs to review everything comprehensively.

“I wanted to push the team higher up the field, using a 3-4-3 formation to increase pressure. However, the Vietnamese overseas player - Karim Tran - just joined and is not yet familiar with the team's style, so I had to make adjustments. That’s normal during a match.”

“After this match, we will sit down to evaluate. For now, with the current squad, the coaching staff will try to rotate and arrange the best possible lineup for the upcoming games,"Mr. Sơn emphasized.

When mentioning the fighting spirit of the young players while the team was behind, Coach Văn Sỹ Sơn showed understanding: “When trailing, especially for young players, their morale and confidence are often affected. This is inevitable and we have to keep encouraging them,”he shared.