Who will replace Doan Van Hau?

Doan Van Hau is injured. Nguyen Phong Hong Duy and Vu Van Thanh were not called up. The best left-backs of the Vietnamese national team in recent years will certainly not be participating in the match against Palestine tonight (September 11).

Promising young talents like Phan Tuan Tai, Vo Minh Trong, and Khuat Van Khang are currently in the Vietnam U23 team. This means coach Philippe Troussier will certainly have to experiment with new players on the left wing during the training session at Thien Truong Stadium.

Giap Tuan Duong is likely a trial choice by coach Troussier for tonight's match against Palestine. However, this is probably just a makeshift experiment, as it's difficult for the Hanoi Police FC player to meet the same standards as Van Hau, Hong Duy, or Van Thanh when those three players are in top form.

Giap Tuan Duong (in red shirt) is likely to be chosen to replace Doan Van Hau in the match between the Vietnamese national team and Palestine.

In the current list of 26 players, the French coach doesn't have many options. Only Giap Tuan Duong, a player from Hanoi Police FC who was recently transferred from the Vietnam U23 team to the national team, specializes in playing left back.

In a 3-4-3 formation, the left wing position doesn't necessarily have to be given to a player who usually plays as a defender. Coach Troussier could put an attacking winger in this position, or even a central midfielder (similar to how he rotated defensive midfielder Nguyen Duc Phu with Ho Van Cuong on the right wing in the Vietnam U23 team).

However, even with this option, Coach Troussier only has Trieu Viet Hung - a player who regularly plays left wing for Hai Phong Club. Other options that could be considered include Truong Tien Anh, Do Hung Dung, and Pham Tuan Hai, all of whom play outside their designated positions.

Coach Troussier needs to experiment with new options at the left wing position.

The defender, born in 2002, played in 11 matches in the 2023 V-League, including 6 starts. Giap Tuan Duong only had the opportunity to play when Van Hau was unable to play due to injury or suspension. His impact in the matches for Hanoi Police FC was also not particularly outstanding.

Giap Tuan Duong was called up to the Vietnam U23 team by coach Troussier for training camps since the beginning of the year. However, he was not included in the squad for the SEA Games 32 and was not a preferred option for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Coach Troussier's experiment this time at left-back will not be aimed at finding a long-term replacement or competition for Doan Van Hau. However, for Giap Tuan Duong, it is still a rare opportunity that he needs to make the most of.

If Giap Tuan Duong fails to meet expectations, Trieu Viet Hung could be the next name given a chance. Compared to his younger teammate, the Hai Phong Club player has more advantages, especially in his ability to contribute to ball control in a game.

Vietnam national team roster
Goalkeepers: Dang Van Lam, Pham Van Phong, Nguyen Dinh Trieu
Defenders: Nguyen Thanh Binh, Do Duy Manh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Ho Tan Tai, Giap Tuan Duong, Pham Trung Hieu, Que Ngoc Hai
Midfielders: Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Duc Chien, Truong Tien Anh, Trieu Viet Hung, Nguyen Quang Hai, Pham Van Luan, Lam Ti Phong, Le Pham Thanh Long, Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Tuan Anh
Forwards: Nguyen Van Quyet, Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Tien Linh, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Nguyen Van Toan, Vu Quang Nam

Han Phong

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