The SHB Da Nang Football Club is facing difficulties because of a significant decrease in the physical strength of some of its senior players.

In particular, last season the midfield duo of Hai Lam and Phuoc Vinh did not produce the perfect combination that the coaching board expected due to their ages and long-term injuries.

Some young players, such as Huy Toan, Ngoc Thang, Anh Tuan and Minh Tam, have shown their maturity over recent league seasons.  However, they have yet to fill the gaps left by departing senior players, especially talented midfielder Minh Phuong who recently decided to retire as a professional footballer at the age of 35.

SHB DN’s former midfielder Minh Phuong (left)

The team’s defensive line, including Mai Thanh Nam, Anh Quang and Huu Tuan, has been showing many weaknesses in ball control and preventing opposition strikers from bearing down directly on their own team's goalkeeper.

In addition, SHB DN recently has lacked the skilled foreign strikers who play an important role in scoring goals and creating successful attacks.  Former player Sebastian Gaston Merlo, an Argentinian striker, is not able to return to the club because he has suffered a recurrence of a cruciate ligament injury whilst playing for the Ferro de General Pico Football Club in Argentina.

In order to be well prepared for the next football season, SHB DN has already signed contracts with several foreign and domestic footballers in the recent transfer window.  They are midfielder Hoang Thien from Hoang Anh Gia Lai, and midfielder Lam Anh Quang who played for the national U23 football team at the 26^th SEA Games.  Also signed are Malian striker Souleymane Diabate and midfielder Thanh Hai, both from Dong Tam Long An.

In addition, the club is now trialing some promising local young players, such as Ma Van Tuan, Viet Thang and A Mit from the club's youth training programme. 

Hopefully these changes in the squad will help SHB DN overcome their recent difficulties and gain more success in the coming season.