The return of important pillars and quite stable performance are considered important keys for Dong A Thanh Hoa to be completely confident in aiming for victory against strong opponent Viettel at home in the most important match of round 9 Night Wolf V.League 1 - 2023 at 6:00 p.m. on May 28.

Paulo Conrado is in impressive scoring form, being the mainstay of Dong A Thanh Hoa's attack before the home match against Viettel in round 9.

In the previous round against host Hoang Anh Gia Lai, the Thanh team was without some important pillars in the defense, especially center back Gustavo Santos (suspended), along with goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Diep and full back Dam Tien Dung due to injury. This was a big loss, but Dong A Thanh Hoa still maintained an unbeaten record and led the rankings after 8 rounds.

Coach Velizar Popov (right) deserves the award for best coach of April 2023

In the 9th round, coach Velizar Popov's team had home field advantage and the Bulgarian strategist no longer had to worry about the defense. Goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Diep raced against time to recover from his injury in time to return in time for the match against Viettel. In case this goalkeeper was not ready to play, Dong A Thanh Hoa also had a replacement with Trinh Xuan Hoang. This young "goalkeeper" played quite well in the role of replacing Thanh Diep in the match against Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

Goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Diep is trying hard to return in time for the important match with Viettel.

The return of midfielder Gustavo Santos from suspension is very important for Dong A Thanh Hoa in the match against Viettel. This Brazilian player, along with captain Nguyen Minh Tung, will help the Thanh team's defense become more solid. Coach Popov has more tactical options.

Young player Nguyen Thai Son plays better and more maturely.

Another factor that helps Dong A Thanh Hoa to be completely confident in their victory over Viettel is the high performance and scoring of the striker pair Bruno Cunha and Paolo Conrado. The Brazilian striker duo has continuously scored goals and contributed significantly to the achievements and leading position of the Thanh team in the rankings. These are also the two leading strikers of Dong A Thanh Hoa after 8 rounds. Bruno Cunha has 5 goals, and Paulo Conrado has also scored 4 times.

Bruno Cunha will have an interesting reunion with his old team Viettel.

“I am still building and perfecting a style of play that focuses on ball control and I am very happy that the team's midfield is improving. The players are confident even when playing away and stability has been created. Viettel is a strong team with many excellent players at the national team and U22 national team level, so Dong A Thanh Hoa will have certain caution and respect for the opponent. Our goal is still a victory to keep the top position”, Coach Velizar Popov shared.

The return of center-back Gustavo Santos (yellow shirt) is an important addition to the Dong A Thanh Hoa defense.

In fact, the midfield of Dong A Thanh Hoa this season is quite strong with experienced players such as Le Pham Thanh Long, Nguyen Huu Dung, Le Van Thang, Le Quoc Phuong and significant additions such as A Mit, Lam Ti Phong, especially young player Nguyen Thai Son. The player who just won the bronze medal with the Vietnam U22 team at the recent 32nd SEA Games has been playing more and more maturely and effectively. Coach Popov has also created conditions for this young midfielder to play more in the V.League arena.

Impressive performance helped Dong A Thanh Hoa win 3/4 awards in April 2023 with the title of best team, best coach for coach Velizar Popov and best player for striker Paulo Conrado. These are worthy rewards and also great encouragement for coach Popov and his students before the "big battle" with Viettel. At the same time, it is also a quite interesting reunion of Bruno Cunha with his old team Viettel, where the Brazilian striker won the title of top scorer in 2019 and the 2020 V.League championship.

The match between Dong A Thanh Hoa and Viettel is the most important match of the 9th round of Night Wolf V.League 1 - 2023. Viettel is considered a "high-dose test" to test the true strength of Dong A Thanh Hoa in this year's season. In the 2022 season, Viettel lost the away match in Thanh Hoa and this year, the army team certainly does not want to repeat this.

Manh Cuong