'Viktor Lê is outstanding'

The Vietnamese overseas midfielder Viktor Lê received a flood of praise after scoring a valuable equalizer against SLNA.

In the 54th minute of the "Nghệ Tĩnh derby" on the evening of September 21, the Vietnamese overseas midfielder Viktor Lê executed a beautiful close-range header to help Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh level the score at 1-1, securing a precious point during their away match at Vinh stadium.

For Viktor Lê, this was his first goal of the new season. The U23 Vietnam midfielder earned high praise from head coach Nguyễn Công Mạnh after the match: "Today, Viktor Lê played exceptionally well. The substitution was because he had exerted himself too much, and since I needed to strengthen both wings, I decided to bring in two young, energetic players," Coach Mạnh explained.

"Viktor Lê has clearly improved. Scoring goals has given him great confidence. But as I mentioned in previous press conferences, no one is perfect. They always have to keep striving. The Hà Tĩnh coaching staff will do their best to help Viktor Lê develop further," added coach Nguyễn Công Mạnh.

Regarding Hà Tĩnh's gameplay and tactics, coach Công Mạnh said: "I told the players that there is still plenty of time left. They should play with confidence. The issue was that SLNA at that moment was retreating to wait for Hà Tĩnh to push forward to equalize and then try to find chances to score again.

So I reminded the players to stay calm and control the ball. Also, by bringing in Trọng Hoàng, the match became quite balanced. I want to thank the players for their effort in delivering such an exciting game today."

The draw against SLNA temporarily keeps Hà Tĩnh in 7th place on the standings with 7 points, creating a 3-point gap from the team below, PVF-CAND. However, coach Nguyễn Công Mạnh believes the team still has much to improve in the future:

"Firstly, better ball control is necessary. Secondly, when defending, it's not enough to just clear the ball; players must win possession and continue building attacks forward. That is what I expect from the players."

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