Without Viet Anh, Thanh Binh is not a big concern for coach Kim Sang-sik.

Although Viet Anh and Thanh Binh missed the match with Malaysia due to injury, this is not too big a concern for coach Kim Sang-sik.

Viet Anh missed the Vietnam team due to injury - Photo: VFF .

Since taking over the "hot seat" of the Vietnam national team, coach Kim Sang-sik has prioritized the use of the trio of players Bui Tien Dung, Do Duy Manh and Nguyen Thanh Chung in front of the goal of the Vietnam national team. These are also the "three musketeers" who contributed greatly to the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship of the "golden star warriors". They not only have good understanding after many years of playing together at the national team level, but also possess a foundation of experience, competitive spirit and stable performance in club colors.

Viet Anh and Thanh Binh, although they were pillars at the youth level and had time to play as starters under previous coaches, are not the priority choices in coach Kim Sang-sik's current three-center-back formation. Both often appear on the bench or are put on the field in non-decisive matches. Their absence from this training camp therefore does not cause too much disruption to the Vietnamese team's defense system.

In fact, based on form or experience, if there are no injuries, the central defender trio Tien Dung, Duy Manh, Thanh Chung will be coach Kim Sang-sik's number 1 choice in the upcoming match against Malaysia. However, the point worth mentioning is the lack of competition within the defense in the long run.

When two central defenders who were once considered “option two” withdrew, coach Kim Sang-sik was forced to call up Dang Van Toi and transfer Pham Ly Duc from the U22 team to the national team. These are two players with stable performance at their home clubs, highly regarded for their physical strength, speed and versatility. However, Van Toi and Ly Duc have never played in any official matches for the Vietnamese team.

Thanh Binh also cannot participate in the upcoming match against Malaysia - Photo: VFF.

Both are still true “rookies” at the national team level, lacking international experience and unproven in big matches. This raises questions about the depth of personnel and the next training strategy for the central defender position, which has always been a strength of the Vietnamese team for many years.

It is indisputable that Bui Tien Dung, Duy Manh or Thanh Chung can bring short-term peace of mind. Meanwhile, Viet Anh or Thanh Binh cannot maintain their momentum. In the context of a long tournament, the Vietnamese team must calculate both the force, rotation plan and respond to unexpected situations such as penalty cards, injuries, the absence of quality plan B is a significant minus point.

In the long term, coach Kim Sang-sik needs to take advantage of the time the national team is focusing on to give young faces like Ly Duc or Van Toi a chance to get acquainted with the international environment. This is not only an investment for the future but also a solution to the personnel problem before long-term campaigns such as the World Cup qualifiers or Asian Cup.

Vietnam's away match against Malaysia will take place on June 10. With the opponent in good form, possessing many naturalized players and having prepared thoroughly, Vietnam needs to be solid in defense if they want to achieve a favorable result. Solidity at the back will not only help reduce the load on the attack, especially in the context of Tien Linh's uncertain ability to play, but also be the foundation for coach Kim Sang-sik to build a balanced team, capable of competing in the continental arena.

Source: https://znews.vn/vang-viet-anh-thanh-binh-khong-phai-moi-lo-lon-voi-hlv-kim-sang-sik-post1557477.html