Searching for the 'boss' in the middle of the field.

QUESTION MARKS REGARDING THE FORM OF HOANG DUC , HUNG DUNG

Hoang Duc's situation is truly sensitive. His imminent departure from The Cong Viettel FC leaves coach Nguyen Duc Thang facing a difficult choice: continuing to use him or prioritizing other options. After being substituted in the 59th minute of the opening match of the 2024-2025 V-League season, Hoang Duc sat on the bench and only came on in the 61st minute of the "Hanoi derby" against Hanoi FC, before playing 59 minutes in the 0-1 loss to Binh Dinh FC in round 3. His position is no longer in the center of the midfield (currently occupied by Wesley Nata and Duc Chien), but on the right flank. It's hard to blame coach Duc Thang, as The Cong Viettel FC is forced to adapt to not having the 2022 Vietnamese Golden Ball winner in the squad. Certainly, insufficient playing time, along with playing out of his preferred position, will significantly affect Hoang Duc's performance.

Hoang Duc (left) is in a sensitive situation, affecting his performance ahead of the 2024 AFF Cup.

Meanwhile, at Hanoi FC, people are also getting used to the fact that Hung Dung will no longer be the "perpetual motion machine," running tirelessly and ready to cover the entire field for the team at all times. Coach Le Duc Tuan clearly sees this and is trying to give more opportunities to young players like Thai Quy, Van Toan, and Van Truong in midfield. The good news is that Hung Dung has played the full 90 minutes in the last two matches, but returning to the high level of performance seen in the 2018 or 2022 AFF Cups is another story.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG TALENTS

During the FIFA Days in September, coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed that he would give more opportunities to players born after 2000. He did just that by fielding players like Van Truong, Hai Long, Tuan Tai, Vi Hao, Tuan Duong, etc., even starting them. For this training camp, Coach Kim has called up even younger players, including the return of Thai Son, who was once expected to replace Hung Dung in the future.

Prior to Round 4 of the 2024-2025 V-League, Thai Son was the player with the most minutes played for Thanh Hoa FC, with 308 minutes in the V-League and full-time appearances in both Southeast Asian Club Championship matches. Entering his fourth season in the V-League, the 21-year-old midfielder has matured significantly, ready to take on greater responsibility in the Vietnamese national team, similar to how his 2003-born teammate Van Truong is receiving trust from Coach Kim. In fact, Van Truong has the advantage of a good physique, a long stride (1.82m compared to Thai Son's 1.71m), and trains regularly with Hung Dung. Conversely, Thai Son is a key player for Thanh Hoa FC while Van Truong is still finding his place at Hanoi FC. But Coach Kim Sang-sik is very willing to open the door for young players to showcase their talents, providing great encouragement to both of them.

After the unsuccessful experiment of Hoàng Đức playing as a striker against Russia, coach Kim Sang-sik will place his trust in him in the central midfield position alongside his compatible partner Hùng Dũng. However, the Vietnamese team will be ready to create competition for him with the rise of the young duo Thái Sơn and Văn Trường.

Yesterday, October 4th, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) officially finalized the schedule for the Vietnamese national team's FIFA Days friendly matches in October 2024. Accordingly, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will have one international friendly match against the Indian national team instead of two as originally planned.

Previously, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) had invited the Lebanese and Indian national teams to play friendly matches during the FIFA Days in October 2024. However, due to difficulties in securing flights to Vietnam, the Lebanese team was unable to participate. The Lebanese Football Federation sent a letter to the VFF apologizing for missing this tour and expressing hope for the opportunity to play in Vietnam during future FIFA Days.

Given the time constraints preventing the search for another team to play, the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) exchanged information with the Football Association of India and they agreed to organize a match between the Vietnamese and Indian national teams at 6 PM on October 12th at Thien Truong Stadium (Nam Dinh).

Currently, the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) is continuing to implement measures related to organizing the match and planning ticket sales for spectators. To prepare for this match, the Vietnamese national team will reconvene today (October 5th).

Nhat Doan

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-di-tim-ong-chu-giua-san-18524100417341537.htm