Get out of the "loop"?
In the list of players to prepare for the match against Malaysia on June 10, Duc Chien is the only defensive midfielder. Other central midfielders such as Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Hai Long all tend to play creatively, organize or attack, rather than blocking, recovering the ball or supporting defense from afar. Minh Khoa and Ngoc Quang play like shuttle midfielders. In that context, coach Kim Sang-sik's call-up of Duc Chien is almost a mandatory decision if he wants to have a pure defensive midfielder in the squad. With no one else to share the task of "cleaning up" the midfield, Duc Chien becomes a strategic card by default. The opportunity is there, but it also means great pressure: either assert yourself, or fall into the same vicious cycle as the previous training sessions.
Will Hoang Duc - Duc Chien be the perfect central midfield pair for the Vietnam national team?
PHOTO: MINH TU
This is not the first time Duc Chien has been called up to the Vietnam national team by coach Kim Sang-sik . He played in the first two matches of Mr. Kim against the Philippines and Iraq in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. However, the midfielder of The Cong Viettel Club did not show much. After that, he only sat out two friendly matches against the Russian and Thai teams. And as a matter of course, Duc Chien played the role of a spectator in the 2024 AFF Cup.
If this is the first time this has happened, we can say that Duc Chien is not suitable for the tactical requirements of coach Kim Sang-sik. However, under coach Park Hang-seo or Philippe Troussier, he has never been appreciated, despite the fact that this midfielder's performance in the V-League has always been maintained at a stable to good level.
Playing well in the V-League, being called up to the Vietnam national team, not being able to show much, being on the bench and then not being called up again, Duc Chien has been "stuck" in this vicious cycle for many years. And now it's time for him to break it.
Turning point for Duc Chien
At 26, Duc Chien is no longer considered a young talent. He is entering the most mature stage of his career, both physically and in terms of experience. Placed in a key role when no one else is sharing the position, this could be the last time for the player of The Cong Viettel Club to prove that he deserves a long-term place in coach Kim Sang-sik's plan.
Duc Chien is the leading defensive midfielder of Vietnamese football at present.
PHOTO: MINH TU
If he is used well, Duc Chien can become a mainstay in the position that Vietnamese football is lacking the most. He is a true holding midfielder with the ability to block and play alone behind the attacking midfielders. But if he continues to be obscure, it is possible that he will continue to be left behind, making room for new experiments.
In the upcoming match against Malaysia, the role of the defensive midfielder is extremely important. Coach Peter Cklamovski has called up many "Malaysian" midfielders, with European origins, extremely skillful and also extremely strong. If he is in the starting lineup, Duc Chien will have to face real pressure: neutralizing counter-attacks, and supporting the center-backs against the opponent's attacks.
This is a big challenge, but also an opportunity for Duc Chien to step out of the shadow of a reserve option. If he does his job well, he can completely become an important link of the Vietnam team in bigger campaigns.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-sap-tim-ra-nguoi-thay-the-xung-dang-doan-ngoc-tan-anh-ay-la-ai-185250531161634019.htm
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