Does Mr. Kim have any concerns?

Báo Thanh niên•21/02/2025

The defeat against SLNA in the "relegation battle" at the end of the first half of the season pushed Hai Phong FC down to 13th place in the V-League 2024-2025. With only 12 points, just one point ahead of bottom-placed Da Nang , Nguyen Dinh Trieu and his teammates face a tough challenge in avoiding relegation this season.

Since coach Chu Đình Nghiêm took over at Lạch Tray Stadium, this has been Hải Phòng FC's worst season. The team finished second in the 2022 V-League after a close race with Hanoi FC. In the 2023 season, Hải Phòng was in the title race in the second phase, ultimately finishing in 6th place. In the 2023-2024 season, Hải Phòng finished 7th, a drop of one place, but still an acceptable result.

However, this season, the situation has become more difficult for Dinh Trieu and his teammates. Hai Phong FC has only won 2 out of 13 matches in the first half of the season (against HAGL and Ho Chi Minh City FC with the same score of 2-0). The team from the port city still maintains the control-oriented playing style that coach Chu Dinh Nghiem has built over the past 3 years. But, the poor quality of foreign players, the lack of young players, and the constantly changing domestic players each season have made Hai Phong increasingly unstable.

Over the years, Hai Phong FC has frequently found itself in a situation of "picking up whatever is available," having to use players who have been discarded from various teams. Among them, only a few have performed well, such as Dinh Trieu, Trieu Viet Hung, and Luong Hoang Nam. The majority of Hai Phong's makeshift and... budget-friendly signings have failed to deliver value.

With a thin and weak squad, Hai Phong Club is like a narrow blanket; if you cover your head, your feet are exposed, or vice versa.

Highlights of SLNA FC 1-0 Hai Phong FC | Round 13 V-League 2024-2025

Coach Kim Sang-sik is in a difficult position.

The positive sign is that despite playing for a struggling team, Dinh Trieu has maintained his form. Like a "lotus in the mud," the 34-year-old goalkeeper remains in the top 5 goalkeepers with the best save, passing, and interception statistics in the V-League. Playing for a team with a weak defense like Hai Phong FC also provides an opportunity for Dinh Trieu to improve, as he constantly faces opposing strikers.

However, coach Kim Sang-sik probably needs to reconsider the goalkeeper position. Dinh Trieu rarely makes mistakes, but having to play for a team like Hai Phong FC, which loses more than it wins, threatens to limit his development potential and affect the morale of the goalkeeper born in 1991.

The stature of the port city's team doesn't allow Dinh Trieu to reach international club competitions. He also lacks the opportunity to train weekly with talented teammates to improve his skills. In other words, Dinh Trieu is very talented, but he has "reached his limit," only fitting in at the Southeast Asian level.

To progress further, coach Kim Sang-sik needs goalkeepers with a stronger foundation of basic skills and more experience, like Nguyen Filip and Dang Van Lam, or younger players to hone their skills like Tran Trung Kien (HAGL) or Doan Huy Hoang (The Cong Viettel). Filip has also declined in form, but the goalkeeper born in 1992 has received formal training, possesses considerable experience, and has the composure to thrive after years playing in Europe. Hanoi Police FC's participation in the Southeast Asian Champions League also provides Nguyen Filip with continuous exposure to regional opponents, something Dinh Trieu lacked while playing for Hai Phong.

Goalkeeper Van Lam is also a potential candidate, as he and Ninh Binh FC could soon win the First Division championship to return to the V-League. Van Lam continues to train well. He has hired a personal trainer to maintain his fitness and improve his skills, and he knows how to seize opportunities to make his mark, such as his outstanding saves that helped Ninh Binh overcome two opponents in the National Cup (both on penalties).

The race for a spot on the Vietnamese national team will be very exciting.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-mon-gioi-nhat-aff-cup-2024-phai-dua-tru-hang-ong-kim-co-ban-khoan-18525022112525429.htm