Is Coach Kim's Hoang Duc test as 'ineffective' as it was during Coach Troussier's time?

Hoang Duc plays striker again

Since playing for the Viettel The Cong youth team, joining the U.19 and U.22 Vietnam teams, stepping onto the V-League field and then wearing the national team jersey, Nguyen Hoang Duc has gone through many positions: central midfielder, striker, winger, even... center back.

However, the 1998-born star has established his ability in the role of central midfielder. In the Vietnamese national team, Hoang Duc began to find his place in June 2021, in the last 3 matches of the second qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. Over the past 4 years, Hoang Duc has been the most stable midfielder in the role of controlling the game and developing the ball.

Hoang Duc faces difficulties in his new role

However, Hoang Duc had a quiet period under coach Philippe Troussier. The French coach tested him in an unfamiliar striker role. In fact, Hoang Duc used to play as a withdrawn striker at The Cong Viettel, and was given the opportunity by coaches like Thach Bao Khanh and Truong Viet Hoang to approach the penalty area more often. But that was when The Cong Viettel had a striker with a good physique to act as a wall, shielding and supporting Hoang Duc in the front line.

In the Vietnamese national team, Hoang Duc failed Coach Troussier's striker test. The 26-year-old player is not good at playing with his back to the goal. Hoang Duc can block the ball, but is not strong at turning the ball past people. He is also not outstanding in speed, stretching ability, and his finishing skills are only "adequate". Hoang Duc did not play well in matches as a striker, then gradually lost his position. He only returned to the midfield in the last matches of the French coach, but it was too late.

When coach Kim Sang-sik took over the hot seat, he returned Hoang Duc to the midfield. He played in two matches against the Philippines and Iraq in the role of controlling and regulating the game. However, in the most recent friendly matches, Hoang Duc played as a striker.

Hoang Duc has not adapted well to his new role.

Same position, but the role of the new player of Ninh Binh team has changed. In theory, the 26-year-old midfielder plays highest in the attack. But in reality, Hoang Duc constantly "falls back" to the midfield to support the ball deployment. Every time he falls back, Hoang Duc will drag an opposing player along, opening up space behind for his teammates to penetrate. In the match against India, Hoang Duc was arranged to play freely, moving flexibly between the midfield and attack to find space to create and finish.

However, the effectiveness of Hoang Duc's playing style contribution in his new role is still unclear.

Will coach Kim Sang-sik make adjustments?

Coach Kim Sang-sik only has one pure striker, Nguyen Tien Linh. Players who previously played as strikers like Tien Linh, such as Nguyen Cong Phuong and Ha Duc Chinh, have all declined and are no longer present in the Vietnamese national team.

The attack line is very thin, forcing Mr. Kim to have a plan B, in the context that Tien Linh has just recovered from a back injury. With the current force, Hoang Duc, although not the best option, is the most likely name to play at the top of the attack line thanks to his physique and tactical thinking. Coach Kim Sang-sik has no one else who can take on this position.

Attackers like Bui Vi Hao and Nguyen Van Toan are good at playing on the wing, while Pham Tuan Hai is a withdrawn striker. These are players who are good at penetrating into open spaces, rather than being target strikers to create space for teammates.

Van Toan tends to drift to the sidelines.

This situation of the Vietnamese team comes from the fact that most V-League teams "assign" the center forward position to foreign players, while domestic players have to move to the wing or play behind.

Only Tien Linh's Binh Duong is the only team that builds an all-domestic attack. When domestic strikers have no place to show their talent, it is inevitable that national team coaches will have difficulty finding talented players.

However, when the midfield of the Vietnamese team is also very thin with the reality of "excess quantity, lack of quality", Hoang Duc may be returned to the right position. As for the center forward role, Mr. Kim may look to Nguyen Xuan Son, or bet on Cong Phuong to find someone to play alongside Tien Linh.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phep-thu-hoang-duc-cua-thay-kim-co-vo-nghiem-nhu-thoi-hlv-troussier-185241024121201207.htm