Coach Kim is looking for Doan Ngoc Tan 2.0 in the Vietnam team.

Doan Ngoc Tan's role is very important. Photo: Bao Ngoc.

A broken fibula in early April forced Doan Ngoc Tan to retire from the field for 2-3 months. Having lost the midfielder born in 1994, coach Kim Sang Sik is having a headache calculating the midfield.

At the ASEAN Cup 2024, Doan Ngoc Tan's impressive performance contributed greatly to helping the Vietnamese team win the championship. Coach Kim Sang Sik especially appreciated the tenacious fighting spirit, fearlessness, and fiery spirit of the Thanh Hoa Club player.

In the most difficult moments, Ngoc Tan fought like a true warrior, providing mental support for the team. The equalizer for Vietnam in the 90+6 minute in the away match against the Philippines fully demonstrated Doan Ngoc Tan's qualities.

Now coach Kim Sang Sik needs to find someone to replace Ngoc Tan. In the match against Malaysia which is expected to be very tense, the role of a defensive midfielder is very important.

In this training session, Mr. Kim called up 7 midfielders, but most of them did not have the same playing style as Ngoc Tan. Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Hai Long all played football based on inspiration and sophistication, not the type of players who compete and run hard.

But there is one player that coach Kim Sang Sik will likely put his trust in to replace Doan Ngoc Tan, and that is Duc Chien. In the past, the player from The Cong Viettel Club has been called up to the Vietnam national team many times, but he has not left much of an impression because he has had few opportunities to show his skills.

But this time is different, if he does his best against Malaysia, Duc Chien can become the 2.0 version of Doan Ngoc Tan in the Vietnam team.

Duc Chien and Minh Khoa scored points with coach Kim Sang Sik.

Of course, in addition to the similarities in playing style and position, Duc Chien has his own strengths, which are his skill and ability to support the defense well. He is also a versatile player, able to take on many tasks.

Besides Duc Chien, Minh Khoa is the name that coach Kim Sang Sik has high expectations for. The Binh Duong Club player had a very good performance in the victory over Laos in March. After this match, coach Kim affirmed that his student will play even better in the future.

Duc Chien and Minh Khoa both lack international experience, but have a lot of desire to contribute and are in good form. If one of them can replace Doan Ngoc Tan, it will not be a surprise.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-kim-tim-doan-ngoc-tan-20-o-tuyen-viet-nam-post1555779.html