Vietnam's defense is fragile due to injuries - Photo: ANH KHOA
At Bukit Jalil Stadium, the Vietnamese team played very well in the first half against a transformed Malaysian team with a squad of naturalized players. Expert Phan Anh Tu said that the substitutions in defense were the reason why coach Kim Sang Sik and his team collapsed. The Vietnamese team could not maintain their stability.
Mr. Phan Anh Tu said:
"As I predicted, Coach Kim Sang Sik paid attention to preserving the first half to wait for a counterattack opportunity in the second half. We saw that the naturalized Malaysian players could not make it difficult for Nguyen Filip. Besides, this group of players also appeared confused and incoherent in the first time playing together.
The defense has always been the trusted stopper of the Korean coach. At that time, the Vietnamese team was ready to play effective defensive counter-attacks against the strongest opponents in Asia, not to mention the initial quality of the 9 Malaysian naturalized players.
When Thanh Chung left the field due to injury in the 38th minute, I felt something was wrong. Then, Bui Tien Dung was also substituted before the second half. The replacements were Pham Xuan Manh and Pham Ly Duc. The central defenders were almost broken systematically, without a leader, so it was understandable that Xuan Manh and Ly Duc were struggling.
The Malaysian naturalized players took advantage of the gap in Vietnam's defense to exploit. If the first goal was a bit lucky, the following goals were inevitable.
Coach Kim Sang Sik has not yet had a perfect replacement for the defense - Photo: ANH KHOA
I feel a bit regretful when I remember that a central defender with the ability to "hunt for foreigners" like Tran Dinh Trong was not present in this match. An experienced player, with stable performance, his ability was re-evaluated after the match with Buriram United. If placed in place of Thanh Chung, Dinh Trong could do a good job.
We do not blame Ly Duc for his lack of experience. Coach Kim Sang Sik put him on the field, accepting the risk of letting the young center back face the "foreign" strikers of the Malaysian team. Simply put, in the second goal, a classy center back handled the ball skillfully before the opposing team's striker cut in.
The Malaysian team this time is not good, but if they play together many more matches, they will unite. At that time, the Vietnamese team will face many challenges in the Southeast Asian region."
After losing heavily to Malaysia, the chance for the Vietnamese team to enter the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup is still very narrow.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-gia-phan-anh-tu-viet-nam-vo-tran-truoc-malaysia-20250610233321153.htm
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