The value of Ly Duc
Although HAGL has not had a very good performance in the past time (ranked 10th in V-League with 17 points), the mountain town team still contributed 3 players to the Vietnam team in the FIFA Days training session in March 2025. In addition to Tran Bao Toan and Chau Ngoc Quang, who are 2 familiar faces, Pham Ly Duc is a new name to many Vietnamese football fans.
Ly Duc always plays with the spirit of a warrior.
But if we follow the V-League as well as the first division and youth leagues carefully, we can completely understand the decision of coach Kim Sang-sik and his colleagues. The central defender born in 2003 is a pillar of HAGL, having played a full 1,350 minutes in the past 15 matches in the V-League. Among the central defenders called up to the Vietnam national team this time, only Nguyen Thanh Binh of The Cong Viettel Club has the same number of minutes as Ly Duc. Following him are Bui Tien Dung (The Cong Viettel Club - 1,061 minutes), Nguyen Thanh Chung (Hanoi Club, 946 minutes), Bui Hoang Viet Anh (728 minutes) and Do Duy Manh (584 minutes).
Playing for a team that favors defensive counter-attacking play means that Ly Duc has to "tense himself" more in defense and endure a lot of pressure from his opponents. However, he still plays very calmly, making good use of his strengths such as physique and judgment to often gain an advantage in disputes and limit disadvantages. In addition to the very strong physique of a young player, he has the endurance to continuously play consistently, without resting for a minute.
HAGL is the team receiving the second most yellow cards in the V-League (39 cards). Coach Le Quang Trai also admitted that he anticipated this because the mountain town team, which has many young players, is forced to play aggressively to make up for their lack of experience and receiving many cards is inevitable. But in the middle of such a team, Ly Duc has only received 2 yellow cards. That is also because he has not been suspended and has maintained a streak of 15 consecutive matches. This also shows that Ly Duc has an intelligent playing style, reads situations quite well and makes accurate decisions, so he rarely makes serious mistakes.
What is coach Kim Sang-sik planning?
Ly Duc, born in 2003, is among the group of players eligible to join the U.22 Vietnam team at the 33rd SEA Games. If nothing unexpected happens, the HAGL center back is almost certain to take a starting spot at the regional conference in Thailand. The reason is that compared to other U.22 center backs, no one has played as much as Ly Duc in the highest league of Vietnamese football this season. Nguyen Nhat Minh, a rising center back for Hai Phong Club, has only played 614 minutes. Meanwhile, Nguyen Manh Hung (The Cong Viettel Club) and Nguyen Duc Anh ( Hanoi Club, playing at Da Nang Club on loan) have not been given many opportunities in the V-League.
Meeting weak opponents like Cambodia and Laos is an opportunity for new players like Minh Khoa (left) and Ly Duc to have their first appearance on the Vietnamese team.
Therefore, Ly Duc is not only a key central defender but also likely to play the role of leader in the U.22 Vietnam team. He needs to be tested in a harsher environment than the national team to hone his skills, learn from his seniors, and thereby be ready to shoulder the responsibility of helping the U.22 Vietnam team win the 33rd SEA Games gold medal.
Another thing, the opponents of the Vietnamese team in the upcoming FIFA Days series in March are Cambodia (friendly match) and Laos (2027 Asian Cup qualifiers). These are not strong teams, "just right" for coach Kim Sang-sik to give opportunities to new factors like Ly Duc.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/the-la-da-ro-ly-do-pham-ly-duc-duoc-thay-kim-goi-len-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185250307171936759.htm
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