Vietnam Team: Mr. Kim has a headache with out-of-phase wings

While the left wing of the Vietnamese team is full of talented players, the right wing is where coach Kim Sang-sik is not satisfied with the personnel.

IMPRESSIVE LEFT WING

Coach Kim Sang-sik has called up five full-backs for the clash between Vietnam and Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, including Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Van Vi (left wing), along with Truong Tien Anh and Pham Xuan Manh (right wing). These are all the top wingers of the Vietnam team at the moment, with full experience, fitness and versatility to take on the most difficult positions.

Van Vi

Van Vi (right) is ready to compete with Quang Vinh

Photo: NGOC LINH

However, there are signs of a mismatch between the two wings, when the best players are concentrated on the left wing, while the right wing is too small, not fully meeting the requirements of coach Kim. On the left wing, coach Kim Sang-sik has a quality addition named Cao Pendant Quang Vinh. The player born in 1997 brings a European breeze to the Vietnamese team, when he was one of the most versatile and worth-watching left-backs in Ligue 2 (France's second division), as well as in French youth football when he was called up to the French U.16 and U.18 teams. Quang Vinh has many strengths as a good winger, such as the ability to dribble, break through, penetrate the penalty area to support the attack, as well as compete one-on-one, intercept, and cover to serve the defense.

Truong Tien Anh plays quite well in V-League

Quang Vinh has played 31 matches at club level this season, the most among the national team players. He has only missed one match for the Hanoi Police team due to receiving enough yellow cards. With stable performance, high confidence and excitement when wearing the Vietnam team shirt for the first time, Quang Vinh is an interesting card that Mr. Kim can give to Malaysia. To stop the naturalized players on the opponent's side, Mr. Kim needs a domestic player with the level of a foreign player like the 28-year-old defender.

If Quang Vinh cannot integrate, coach Kim Sang-sik still has Van Vi, who is playing well at Nam Dinh Club. Since his debut at the AFF Cup 2024, Van Vi has played 10 matches for the Vietnamese team, scoring 3 goals. Not only is he proficient at climbing the sidelines, the defender born in 1996 also handles the ball flexibly on the sidelines. He is agile and skillful enough to cross the sidelines, pass, or coordinate overlapping passes and then move into the middle to increase the number of attacking players.

LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT WING OF THE TEAM

At the 2024 AFF Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik used three players on the right wing, including Truong Tien Anh, Vu Van Thanh and Ho Tan Tai. However, Tan Tai had to take a long break due to injury. Most recently, Van Thanh also missed the match due to pain right before the ASEAN Club Championship final. Mr. Kim only has Tien Anh as a possible right winger. Of course, the defender born in 1999 is a quality choice. He has played all 24 matches in the V-League this season for The Cong Viettel (started 23 matches), scoring 2 goals. Abundant physical strength helps Tien Anh attack and defend stably and persistently. In the beginning, the 26-year-old defender was not selected by Mr. Kim. However, he convinced Mr. Kim during the training trip to Korea in November 2024. He is always in the top group of physical tests, responding well to a position that requires a lot of movement.

However, Tien Anh's weakness is experience, as the defender of The Cong Viettel has only been playing for the national team for 2 years, playing 8 matches. It is not easy for him to stand firm in the match against Malaysia on June 10, at the "fortress" Bukit Jalil, which is very stressful with more than 80,000 spectators. To supplement the right wing, Mr. Kim called Pham Xuan Manh. However, for a long time, Xuan Manh has played as a right-sided center-back in training sessions with the Vietnamese team. The defender born in 1996 has good strength and defensive skills, he sticks around persistently, maintains a stable position, but is not strong in attack, when his skills of climbing the sidelines to cross the ball or dribble past people are all at a moderate level. Therefore, he is only arranged to play as a right-sided center-back to take advantage of his defensive ability. Returning to the right wing, the player who has just returned from injury at Hanoi Club will find it difficult to fully respond.

Former coach Park Hang-seo of the Vietnamese national team once affirmed that the wing position is the most important in the 3-center-back formation. Coach Kim Sang-sik shares the same opinion, constantly experimenting with personnel on both wings. When the wings are having a difference in personnel, Mr. Kim needs to "cut his coat according to his cloth" appropriately to deal with Malaysia.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ong-kim-dau-dau-voi-doi-canh-lech-pha-185250525213141653.htm