Failed test
One of the reasons for the failure of the Vietnamese team at the 2023 Asian Cup is the absence of key players. The most regrettable case is that of Nguyen Hoang Duc.
The midfielder born in 1998 is at the peak of his career with 121 matches for The Cong Viettel Club, and 22 matches for the Vietnam national team. He has been a mainstay since June 2021 until coach Philippe Troussier took over the team. In the role of central midfielder, Hoang Duc demonstrated his ability to control the tempo, develop the ball and participate in attacks very effectively.
Hoang Duc (left) in the shirt of Viettel The Cong Club
However, the misstep in the early stages under coach Troussier is causing Hoang Duc to stagnate. The 25-year-old player still played regularly in the early stages, but in September 2023, Mr. Troussier tested Hoang Duc in the striker role. He was assigned to play as a center forward in friendly matches against Palestine, China, Uzbekistan, and South Korea, with a rare mark being the pass for Cong Phuong to score against Palestine.
As a striker, Hoang Duc lost his inherent qualities. The player of Viettel The Cong Club is not sharp enough to score goals in the penalty area. He is also not a pure striker to receive the ball, shield and pass back to the second line.
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Hoang Duc was then left out of the plan for the matches against the Philippines and Iraq in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (November 2023), with the explanation: "To achieve high results in the continental tournament, we need to organize better, especially organizing defense without the ball. Hoang Duc has not met this requirement. He has to contribute more to the team, I hope Hoang Duc understands that I just want to push him more."
In an interview with the press after the 2023 Asian Cup, the General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) revealed: "Coach Troussier waited for Hoang Duc until the last minute and was very sorry when he could not play. He did not want to risk injuring the player."
Hoang Duc has recovered.
However, even if he participates in the Asian Cup, it is difficult to guarantee that Hoang Duc will have a starting position. Many veterans such as Quang Hai, Tan Tai, Van Thanh, Van Toan in this tournament are only used sparingly, with much fewer minutes than the group of young players (Minh Trong, Tuan Tai, Thai Son). With a player who was left out of the previous 2 matches and has just recovered, Hoang Duc's chances are very small.
Coach Troussier has made adjustments?
Coach Troussier has changed the positions of many players since taking over the Vietnam national team. Left-back Tuan Tai was placed as a left-wing center-back. Winger Van Khang was placed as an attacking midfielder. Tien Anh, the left winger of Viettel The Cong Club, played right-back when he joined the national team. Or most recently, Mr. Troussier advised Tan Tai to play right-wing center-back or central midfielder. Even at the club, Tan Tai plays right-back.
Like the experiment named Hoang Duc, the above adjustments of coach Troussier have not brought any positive effects. The players have all lost their form when playing out of position (Tien Anh, Tuan Tai, Van Khang), the remaining one (Tan Tai) has not played a single minute. The French strategist has had a year of adventure with experiments. Now is the time for him to not make any more mistakes, because the pressure of results is about to overwhelm the team.
Putting Hoang Duc as a striker is probably unnecessary, when he still has Tuan Hai, Van Toan, and Tien Linh will soon return to "enrich" the attack. Meanwhile, in the midfield where Hoang Duc used to play very well, midfielders like Tuan Anh and Thanh Long only play at an average level, and Thai Son is too young to shoulder the midfield.
A player who is good at controlling the rhythm, has abundant physical strength and good vision like Hoang Duc is a valuable resource that perhaps coach Troussier should not waste any more. The French coach had a frank discussion with Hoang Duc, and together we are waiting for the March gathering, the midfielder born in 1998 will be returned to where he belongs.
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