Used to playing in the First Division, Hoang Duc is fading in the Vietnam team?

The Vietnamese team defeated Laos 4-1, but it is difficult to say that this was a victory that satisfied the fans. The gameplay was still problematic and outstanding individual performances were also lacking. The current Vietnamese Golden Ball winner Nguyen Hoang Duc was one of the stars who did not perform up to expectations.

In the first 6 matches of coach Kim Sang-sik with the Vietnamese team, Nguyen Hoang Duc started 5 times. In the remaining match (against Thailand), he played the entire second half. The Korean coach highly values Hoang Duc's role in building the playing style for the Vietnamese team.

Vietnam team 4-1 Laos.

However, up to now, the midfielder of Phu Dong Ninh Binh club has not made a remarkable mark. He has not shown the clear influence as before. In the context that the Vietnamese team has not had high-quality matches, the lack of performance of the star born in 1998 has made fans examine more closely.

In the match against Laos, Mr. Kim experimented with many positions. However, it is possible to see the "hard" positions of the vertical axis, including the 3 central defenders, central midfielder and striker. Hoang Duc is the core in the playing style of the Vietnamese team.

Hoang Duc faced many difficulties when surrounded by Lao players. (Photo: VFF)

He is the regulating player in the 2 central midfielders. Hoang Duc's range of activity is around the center circle, falling back more. Therefore, the opportunity for Hoang Duc to make his mark near the opponent's circle in attacks is reduced. He only threatened the Lao team's goal once.

According to the scoreboard based on match statistics from Sofascore, Hoang Duc is one of four Vietnamese players with a score below 7 points. He touched the ball 108 times, the second most on the field (only behind center back Bui Tien Dung - 113 times).

Hoang Duc's passing accuracy rate was 84% - quite good. He made 94 passes, including 14 long passes, only 8 of which were successful. He dribbled past people only 1 time, winning 4/11 challenges. The Lao players surrounded him so tightly that the "conductor" of the Vietnamese team was completely predictable.

Hoang Duc was the player who lost the ball the most - 22 times. A rate of 20% is not too high, but it is not an ideal number for a central midfielder.

Hoang Duc did not have much of an impact on the attack front in the match against Laos.

On social networks, many people think that playing in the First Division has made Hoang Duc lose his feeling. The level is lower, the playing style is slower, it is difficult for Hoang Duc to maintain the intensity and requirements of the highest level.

Of course, that is still just a speculative assessment. However, the reality is that the Vietnamese team needs Hoang Duc to perform better than that. The match against Laos can be a warm-up for the Vietnamese team as well as the midfielder wearing the number 14 shirt.

The next challenge is more difficult. The match against Indonesia is a test for Hoang Duc to prove that his mettle and playing class have not been diminished.