Mr. Kim is waiting to see a better version of Hoang Duc.

Hoang Duc did not play well in the opening match against the Laos team.

Hoang Duc meets new partner

In the opening match, winning 4-1 against Laos, Hoang Duc was rated 6.9 points by Sofascore, in the group of 5 players under 7 points while the remaining 11 players (including 5 substitutions) were all rated very high from 7 points or higher.

Even his "possession lost" index of 22 and only 6 wins in 14 duels (43%) made many fans worried.

However, this was explained by coach Kim Sang-sik as the Vietnamese team, including Hoang Duc, had to make many long passes behind the opponent's dense and persistent defense line.

However, it can be felt that the performance of the midfielder of Viettel Club The Cong is still far from his best version, in the tournament he was clearly identified as the most important conductor when his senior Hung Dung was absent.

Doan Ngoc Tan, Hoang Duc's latest partner at AFF Cup 2024

The reason could be due to the poor pitch, or the player from Hai Duong is calculating the falling point to gradually improve his performance in the next matches. At the same time, another very important reason is that the 2021 and 2023 Vietnam Golden Ball is having to get used to his new partner Doan Ngoc Tan.

The match against Laos is an official match between two midfielders with different styles, who in theory will complement each other when mixing the smart flexibility and technique of a conductor with the aggressive, fierce spirit of a "sweeper".

The fact that Ngoc Tan has his first major tournament in the Vietnamese national team, and his playing qualities are still different from Hung Dung's, will make Hoang Duc need more time to find harmony, in order to complement and support each other.

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Fate against Indonesia, support for teammates

Looking more broadly, the reason why Hoang Duc has not "exploded" as expected is also because the Vietnamese team is showing a new face with 6 young faces or new ones who have been given important responsibilities by Mr. Kim, replacing a series of familiar monuments.

Hoang Duc is the mainstay of the new Vietnam team.

But certainly, coach Kim Sang-sik really needs Hoang Duc to show his best form in the upcoming matches, in the role of the leading conductor of the Vietnamese team, when Quang Hai, Ngoc Quang, and Thanh Long are plan B for the second half.

In particular, Mr. Kim will really need the 1997-born midfielder's luck in the next important match, to defeat his opponent Indonesia in order to take a big step towards the first goal of passing the group stage.

In fact, Indonesia is a name that left many memories for Hoang Duc, such as his beautiful long-range shot in the 90+1 minute that helped the U.22 Vietnam team win the U.22 Indonesia team 2-1 in the group stage, before crushing this opponent 3-0 in the final match, bringing home the SEA Games 2019 men's football gold medal - the first time in nearly 6 decades.

During the following period, Hoang Duc always played a prominent role in victories at all levels against Indonesia from SEA Games to World Cup qualifiers.

Looking ahead to the match against the Indonesian team that was held to a 3-3 draw by Laos on the night of December 12, revealing a lack of experience despite playing with great passion, Hoang Duc will have to demonstrate his role more clearly in both maintaining the rhythm in the middle of the field and creating opportunities for the strikers above to exploit the space to score.

The best version of Hoang Duc will be the foundation for the new, youthful Vietnam team to more smoothly demonstrate the style of play that coach Kim Sang-sik is trying to establish, aiming for further goals such as reaching the final and winning the AFF Cup 2024.

Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 is broadcast live and in full on FPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ong-kim-cho-xem-phien-ban-tot-hon-cua-hoang-duc-185241213164424079.htm