Nguyen Tien Linh was injured in the match between Binh Duong and The Cong Viettel last night (March 8). Coach Kim Sang-sik faces a difficult problem in the attack of the Vietnamese team in the upcoming two matches against Cambodia and Laos.
The 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball winner fell to the ground after missing a shot in the 73rd minute. Tien Linh slipped and injured his knee. The head coach of Binh Duong club did not rule out the possibility that this striker would be forced to withdraw from the Vietnam national team.
Tien Linh's injury could cause difficulties for coach Kim Sang-sik.
Tien Linh is considered a natural choice in the squad of the reigning Southeast Asian champions in the absence of Nguyen Xuan Son. Apart from the fact that coach Kim Sang-sik does not have many options in the center forward position, Tien Linh's stable performance since the beginning of the season is convincing enough.
The player born in 1997 leads the V.League 2024-2025 scoring list with 10 goals. Of which, he only has 2 goals from penalties. Obviously, Tien Linh is still the most effective domestic striker in the V.League.
In case Tien Linh does not recover before March 26 - the time when the Vietnamese team plays the first match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos, coach Kim Sang-sik will face a difficult problem to solve. The Korean coach did not call up any new strikers to replace Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Van Toan. If Tien Linh is also lost, the Vietnamese team's attack force will be very thin.
Dinh Thanh Binh is trusted as a reserve option in the AFF Cup 2024, but he is not highly rated for his attacking effectiveness. The plus point of this player is his ability to compete. Bui Vi Hao is fast and skillful, but weak in contact and is more suitable for the role of a winger.
Cong Phuong recovers from injury, will he have a chance to return to the Vietnam national team?
Pham Tuan Hai is the most likely option left for the center forward position. The problem is that the "hero" of the second leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final is not in good form. Since November last year, the Hanoi FC striker has only scored 1 goal for both the club and the national team.
It is not impossible that coach Kim Sang-sik will have to call up additional strikers. U22 Vietnam has 5 strikers. However, except for Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Quoc Viet who have experience in V.League, the remaining names who play in the First Division are probably not ready for a higher level.
Is there any domestic striker in V.League who can "support" the Vietnamese team? Coach Kim Sang-sik does not have many options when most teams use 1-2 foreign players in attack.
Nham Manh Dung is probably the most likely name. However, this striker only plays a "supporting role" when The Cong Viettel uses both Amarildo and Pedro Henrique on the field at the same time.
Coach Kim Sang-sik may have to expand the selection round, even try exceptions to have more options to consider. Notable information for the Korean coach is that Nguyen Cong Phuong has recovered from injury. He was named on the reserve list in Binh Phuoc's latest match.
In addition, another name that could be useful is Hoang Vu Samson. The 36-year-old striker is still playing well at the age of 36, with 3 goals and 1 assist after 13 appearances in the V.Leauge this season. The Nigerian player may not have enough physical strength to operate at high intensity throughout the match. However, experience and finishing ability are factors that make Samson better than most domestic strikers.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tien-linh-chan-thuong-hlv-kim-sang-sik-thu-cong-phuong-hoang-vu-samson-ar930547.html
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