The style of play of the Vietnamese team under coach Philippe Troussier has not yet taken shape in the first two matches. The novelty that fans can see is mainly the names that the French coach has tested. In particular, the case of Nguyen Thai Son is perhaps the most obvious new feature bearing the mark of Mr. Troussier.
Thanh Hoa FC midfielder received a lot of praise after his performance in the victory over Syria at Thien Truong Stadium (Nam Dinh) on the evening of June 20. Thai Son started, played the full 90 minutes and contributed to the goal of the Vietnamese team. The midfielder wearing the number 14 shirt intercepted the opponent's failed ball control in front of the penalty area and passed to Pham Tuan Hai to score from a distance.
Nguyen Thai Son made an impressive debut in the Vietnam national team.
It can be said that Nguyen Thai Son's debut is the biggest difference for Coach Troussier in the first 2 matches leading the Vietnamese team. This is even a surprising personnel decision of the French coach because Thai Son was only included in the list of the Vietnamese team 2 days before the match against Syria.
In this training session, the Vietnamese team did not have Do Hung Dung due to injury. Nguyen Hoang Duc was also injured after the match against Hong Kong (China). Perhaps most fans expected Nguyen Hai Huy to be used in the midfield of the Vietnamese team. However, Mr. Troussier gave the opportunity to Thai Son.
The player born in 2003 responded to Coach Troussier's trust with a mature performance in the middle of the field. Many fans on social networks commented that Thai Son ran instead of his teammate Nguyen Tuan Anh. In other words, Tuan Anh's impressive performance was greatly contributed by his junior playing next to him.
Mobility and endurance are the factors that make Thai Son trusted by Coach Troussier. In the U23 Vietnam squad at SEA Games 32, there is only one player who played more minutes than Thai Son (478 minutes), namely Phan Tuan Tai (495 minutes).
At the time Coach Troussier started working with the U23 team, Thai Son was among the players who did not need further testing after the first short training session. This player did not participate in the Doha Cup friendly tournament but was one of the players with the highest chance of participating in the SEA Games.
At SEA Games 32, Thai Son caused a stir with statistics of a distance traveled over 10 km in a match. This number is far above the average of Vietnamese players and is equivalent to European players.
Specifically, in the match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos, Thai Son ran 11.4km on the field. This number is higher than the average of a player at the World Cup (about 10km per match). Players in the Premier League run from 10-14km per match. Thai Son is also the player who ran the most in the group stage of men's football at the 32nd SEA Games.
The goal of the Vietnamese team had the mark of Nguyen Thai Son.
Of course, running a lot does not necessarily mean efficiency. Thai Son's numbers, which were equivalent to European standards, did not help him receive praise at that time, in the context of U22 Vietnam not satisfying fans. However, when put in the context of the national team's match, that was the factor that helped Thai Son stand out.
Playing alongside Tuan Anh, it is clear that no one expects Thai Son to take on the role of controlling the tempo and distributing the ball. His job is to move around the field like a "shuttle" to support the attacking and defensive areas. In such a context, the role of a player who "only knows how to run" is more easily seen.
Nguyen Thai Son debuted in the national team with a not bad, even impressive performance. However, just like how it is impossible to praise or criticize the Vietnamese team in the first matches under coach Troussier - when everything is in the initial familiarization and adaptation stage, it is difficult to affirm that the young midfielder born in 2003 can take a place in the Vietnamese team in the near future.
It should be remembered that coach Troussier has many midfielders of higher class and experience than Thai Son. Even with a similar playing style, the Vietnamese team still has Do Hung Dung. However, the fact that Thai Son is used with Van Tung and Tuan Tai shows that coach Troussier has calculated the formation to aim for the long haul.
Han Phong
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