While waiting for Malaysia to be declared defeated, the Vietnamese team suddenly 'blossomed'

The Vietnam national team may have to add some new players in the two matches against Nepal in October. However, that does not mean that the veterans are no longer valuable in the national team.

The Vietnamese national team's forward line is in dire need of experienced players.

In the Vietnamese national team's forward line, the role of veteran faces is still very important. In the match against Malaysia on June 10, in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik tried Chau Ngoc Quang and Nguyen Hai Long as strikers. However, they could not create pressure on the opponent's goal.

Tien Linh (22) is in good form.

Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police Club

Although it is known that Malaysia won 4-0 that day mainly thanks to the "illegally naturalized" players. But objectively speaking, it was the fact that the Vietnamese team's strikers could not create pressure on the front line, allowing the opponent to freely push up the attacking formation, thereby increasing the burden and pressure on the back line. That was one of the reasons why the Vietnamese team lost so heavily.

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In addition, the common point between the players who were tested as strikers that day, including Chau Ngoc Quang and Nguyen Hai Long, was that they were both at a big disadvantage in terms of physique (only about 1.70 m tall), so the long passes and situations of passing the ball to the two wings, and crossing the ball into the middle that we performed, were almost harmless to the Malaysian defense.

After the failure of that day’s experiment, coach Kim Sang-sik probably realized his own mistake. The Vietnamese team still needed a relatively physically fit striker, along with a few players who could press, have physical strength and could play high balls in the attack.

The veterans are in good form.

Among the current domestic strikers, Nguyen Tien Linh and Pham Tuan Hai can meet these criteria for coach Kim Sang-sik. What they have in common is that they have both been in good form in the recent rounds. In the last two rounds, Tien Linh scored 2 goals, and Tuan Hai scored 1 goal. Tien Linh contributed greatly to helping the HCM City Police Club accelerate strongly in the top group of the rankings, and Tuan Hai contributed to stopping the previous disappointing streak of Hanoi FC.

Hai Long was "lost" in front of Malaysia's tall defense on June 10. The Vietnamese team lost but times can change.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Of these two strikers, Tuan Hai has the ability to press and work hard to overcome the opponent's defense. Tien Linh has a good physique (1.80 m), is good at playing high balls (all of Tien Linh's goals from the beginning of V-League 2025-2026 until now have been scored with his head), and will be a necessary addition to the elements that the Vietnamese team lacked in the match against Malaysia on June 10. In addition, both of these players have a lot of international competition experience, which can help the spirit of the national team in difficult times.

Experienced players like Tien Linh, Tuan Hai, along with Hoang Duc and Quang Hai, are still very important factors for the Vietnamese team. Even when coach Kim Sang-sik's team adds and tests young faces in the matches against Nepal in October, veterans like Tien Linh, Quang Hai, Tuan Hai and Hoang Duc are still necessary for the team. The veterans will be the ones to play the role of backbone for the whole team, shouldering great professional responsibility, and at the same time, they will guide and instruct the younger players on the appropriate steps, so that the young players can get in sync with the team better and progress faster.

In October, Vietnam and Malaysia will have two important matches. Malaysia will not be able to use seven naturalized players because they have been suspended by FIFA for 12 months. Vietnam will play Nepal in two matches, both at home.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trong-luc-cho-malaysia-co-the-bi-xu-thua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-bong-dung-no-hoa-185250929171550183.htm