Coach Lê Đức Tuấn: 'Every match for Đà Nẵng now is a final'

Despite early personnel setbacks, Đà Nẵng resiliently held Ninh Bình to a draw. Coach Lê Đức Tuấn praised his players' spirit and stated that every remaining match is a "final" for survival.

Despite early personnel setbacks, Đà Nẵng Club resiliently secured a 1-1 draw at Ninh Bình's stadium. After the match, Coach Lê Đức Tuấn emphasized his players' fighting spirit and affirmed that the relegation battle forces the team to treat every match as a final.

Playing away against one of the title contenders, Đà Nẵng endured a challenging 90 minutes. The Sông Hàn team even had to make three substitutions early on, leaving the coaching staff with almost no personnel adjustment options later in the match.

Speaking after the match, Coach Lê Đức Tuấn acknowledged this was a very difficult situation for his team. “Today's match was very tough. Having to make three substitutions early left us with almost no room for personnel changes later. But the players gave their utmost in spirit. Getting one point away against a strong opponent like Ninh Bình is an acceptable result,” the Đà Nẵng captain stated.

According to Coach Lê Đức Tuấn, before the match he instructed his players to play disciplinedly, focusing on shutting down the opponent's dangerous attacking threats. Đà Nẵng's tactic was to force Ninh Bình to spread play to the wings and use many crosses, a scenario the visiting team had prepared to counter.

One highlight of the match was the decision to grant the starting position to goalkeeper Nguyễn Văn Toản instead of Phan Văn Biểu. This choice proved effective as the former U23 Vietnam goalkeeper performed solidly, controlled space well, and handled aerial situations safely multiple times.

Explaining this decision, Coach Lê Đức Tuấn said: “I knew Ninh Bình would cross frequently. Văn Biểu has a slight disadvantage in such situations, so I chose Văn Toản. His aerial ability and composure gave the defense more confidence.”

The Đà Nẵng coach also offered words of encouragement for his player: “I sensed Toản's hunger, similar to Bùi Tiến Dũng before. He has the ability and is just waiting for an opportunity to prove himself.”

The draw at Ninh Bình's stadium gives Đà Nẵng more confidence in the relegation battle. According to Coach Lê Đức Tuấn, the team is gradually improving cohesion, especially as many new players are integrating better with the overall style.

Looking ahead to the crucial home match against HAGL next round, he emphasized: “After the loss in the first leg, I told the players that from now on, every match is a final. When we face HAGL at home, our goal is definitely three points to keep our survival hopes alive.”