Is coach Kim Sang-sik missing out on these attacking talents?

Versatile midfielder Vo Hoang Minh Khoa

The first talent worth noting is midfielder Vo Hoang Minh Khoa of Binh Duong Club. This young player has been making steady progress recently. He was the best Vietnamese player at the final round of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, which took place in April.

After that, returning to Binh Duong Club, Minh Khoa continued to maintain his form at the end of the 2023-2024 season, as well as the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. In Binh Duong, in the last 2 seasons, Minh Khoa played under 2 strict coaches, respectively Mr. Le Huynh Duc and Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan. None of these coaches criticized the 23-year-old midfielder's technical ability.

Minh Khoa (left) is one of the most versatile midfielders.

Under coach Hoang Anh Tuan, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa has been given a new task, which is to organize attacks for the Southeast team. Up to now, this player has completed the above task. In the match of the National Cup qualifying round on the afternoon of October 20, when Binh Duong met Binh Dinh, Minh Khoa was the one who made both decisive passes, leading to 2 goals for Binh Duong.

First was a rather creative corner kick situation in the first half: instead of passing the ball high and into the middle of the opponent's penalty area, Minh Khoa passed the ball low, back outside the penalty area for Tien Linh to receive the ball and shoot to score.

For Binh Duong's second goal in the second half, Minh Khoa again had a very accurate pass, creating conditions for Thanh Nhan to rush down to break the offside trap, lift the ball over the head of Binh Dinh goalkeeper Huynh Tuan Linh, and score to raise the score to 2-0 for Binh Duong. Recently, Minh Khoa's passes like that have appeared quite a lot. In addition to his ability to keep the rhythm, Minh Khoa also plays a good role in creating and organizing the play for the Southeast team.

Minh Khoa (number 10) is a regular starter at Binh Duong Club.

Previously, under coach Le Huynh Duc, Minh Khoa was tested in the attacking midfielder position on the left wing and he was still successful. When playing in this position, Minh Khoa had moves from the left wing to the center, then finished and scored.

This means that if Minh Khoa is used in the midfield, teams that own this player will have a character who can both recover the ball well, support the attack well, and have versatility. In addition, Minh Khoa's good physique (1.76 m) is also an advantage for players playing in the central midfield position like him, compared to Nguyen Thai Son (1.71 m), Le Pham Thanh Long (1.65 m), or Do Hung Dung (1.70 m).

"Strange bird" Tran Danh Trung

Another name, less noticed at the national team level, in recent times, despite always having stable performance in the shirt of Viettel The Cong Club, is striker Tran Danh Trung. Like Minh Khoa, Danh Trung used to wear the shirt of Vietnam U.23 team, but never played for the national team.

Regarding Danh Trung, football expert Doan Minh Xuong commented: “Honestly, I don’t expect too much from Cong Phuong, if we consider the faces that can be added to the national team before the AFF Cup 2024. The striker that I expect to be called up to the team is Tran Danh Trung. He is a player with speed, technique, and the ability to make good changes. He and Pham Tuan Hai (Hanoi FC) will be significant additions to the Vietnam team, compared to the match against the Indian team a few days ago.”

Danh Trung (red shirt) can bring many mutations

Danh Trung may not be strong enough to win an official place in the Vietnam national team at this time, but he can be used from the bench as a surprise factor at certain times. In terms of competitiveness, perhaps Tran Danh Trung is not inferior to the striker who has received a lot of expectations recently, but has not fully met those expectations, Nguyen Dinh Bac.

If used properly, Tran Danh Trung can completely become a new Nguyen Van Toan of the Vietnam team, an expert in counter-attacking play and a "super sub" at the national team level.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-dang-bo-sot-nhung-tai-nang-tan-cong-nay-chang-185241021153200464.htm