Don't forget this face

Van Toan gap

Before getting injured in the second half of the match between Vietnam and Myanmar in the final round of Group B of the AFF Cup, Van Toan played very well.

In the match at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of December 21, the 28-year-old striker was active in the role of an attacking midfielder. He stirred up the opponent's right flank, moved flexibly and used his speed to repeatedly overtake Myanmar defenders. If Van Vi had finished the ball more neatly in the middle of the first half, Van Toan would have had his first assist in the tournament, after a situation where he almost did everything for his teammate with a dribble and then crossed to set up the goal.

Or in the second half, Van Toan had a sharp shot after Nguyen Xuan Son's backheel, opening up the goal that followed for Vi Hao.

Van Toan absent from AFF Cup 2024 semi-finals due to injury

Therefore, Van Toan's injury caused coach Kim Sang-sik to lose an attacking option that combines three factors: class, experience and understanding with Xuan Son, the most promising player on the current attack line. However, coach Kim Sang-sik's way of using people from the beginning of the tournament has sent a message: no player is irreplaceable. With the experimental options in the group stage, the Korean coach still has many solutions to replace his student.

Highlight Vietnam 5-0 Myanmar: Xuan Son's brilliant performance | ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024

First, define Van Toan's position in Mr. Kim's 3-4-2-1 formation as a right-sided attacking midfielder. In fact, in the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup, Van Toan did not have a starting position. This position was assigned to Quang Hai, while Hai Long played as a left-sided attacking midfielder. In the match against Myanmar, Quang Hai was pulled back to the midfield to "deal cards" with Hoang Duc, and the right-sided attacking midfielder space was assigned to Van Toan. This is a move to help the Vietnamese team increase their attack power, as both Quang Hai and Van Toan have the ability to create good breakthroughs.

Without Van Toan, Quang Hai will most likely return to the role of attacking midfielder to replace his teammate. The gap left by Quang Hai in the midfield will be filled by Ngoc Tan. The midfielder born in 1994 started the first 3 matches of the group stage, before missing the match against Myanmar due to injury. Ngoc Tan does not attack as well as Quang Hai or Van Toan, but brings balance to the midfield thanks to his ability to sweep and work tirelessly.

Quang Hai returns to the position that Van Toan took on

In the first leg against Singapore, which requires calculation, the Vietnamese team will need a solid game. Therefore, the midfield with Ngoc Tan and Hoang Duc is still the optimal choice. As for the attack, Quang Hai and Vi Hao (or Hai Long) are reliable attacking midfielders.

Change diagram

Another solution for coach Kim Sang-sik is to change the formation from 3-4-2-1 (2 attacking midfielders, 1 striker) to 3-5-2 (2 strikers).

The advantage of this option is that Mr. Kim can arrange up to 3 central midfielders to reinforce the midfield, creating a safe match with Singapore. At the same time, the Vietnamese team has 2 good strikers, Xuan Son and Tien Linh, to build a 2-striker formation.

Although only playing together in the second half, Xuan Son and Tien Linh coordinated very well. Tien Linh was the one who opened the ball for Xuan Son to perform a solo goal to increase the score to 4-0, then it was Xuan Son's turn to return the favor with a pass for his teammate to score, sealing the 5-0 victory.

Both Xuan Son and Tien Linh are strikers who run well and penetrate the penalty area to score goals. In the match against Singapore, Xuan Son may be closely marked. However, at that time, space for other players will appear. With the mindset of finding good space and experience playing with foreign players at the club, Tien Linh will have the opportunity to "score points".

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ai-thay-van-toan-o-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-dung-quen-guong-mat-nay-185241223100709556.htm