Who will replace Hoang Duc in the Vietnam team?

Hoang Duc had a mixed day of fun and sadness in the match against Nam Dinh in round 16 of V.League 2022. His soft, supple and delicate ball handling helped him shine brightly in the first 40 minutes at Hang Day Stadium, when he scored 2 goals to help Viettel win 4-0.

Witnessing the way Hoang Duc passed the ball behind the opponent's defender, watching him leisurely juggle the ball past goalkeeper Xuan Viet, experts and fans both had to applaud the 24-year-old player.

Everyone is excited and waiting for Hoang Duc to continue to show those valuable moments in the Vietnamese team's jersey against Singapore and India.

But football always has unexpected variables. Hoang Duc suffered a knee injury after a fight to save his team. Coach Bae Ji Won decided to take Hoang Duc off the field. Viettel quickly took X-rays of the midfielder's injury. The result was not as expected by everyone.

Hoang Duc has to rest for 7-10 days due to a minor knee injury. Coach Park Hang Seo did not call him up to the Vietnam national team. For experts and fans, this is a suitable decision from the Korean coach in the current situation.

Of course, Coach Park Hang Seo will need to find 1-2 replacements for Hoang Duc. In fact, it can also be seen as a preparation for the AFF Cup 2022 campaign. Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Team will have to face a density of 3-4 days/match at the AFF Cup, including travel time between countries according to the home-away format.

Of course, at that time, Hoang Duc could not play every match for the Vietnam national team. So, this was also an opportunity for Mr. Park to choose secondary solutions in the midfield.

“Hoang Duc has affirmed his role from the national team to the club. When Hoang Duc is on the field, the team's play is smoother. The connection in situations where the team has the ball is better.

Hoang Duc also improved his defensive ability, especially during the recent national team training period,” said Hong Linh Ha Tinh coach Nguyen Thanh Cong. “But I think, if Hoang Duc is absent, the Vietnam national team still has some suitable players to replace him. Coach Park still has Xuan Truong and Hung Dung. Those will be the options for the Vietnam national team to use in midfield.

In addition, Quang Hai can also drop down to play in the central midfield. If playing in a 4-3-3 formation, in case Quang Hai drops down, Van Quyet can completely fill in the winger position. That will be an opportunity for him. Van Quyet is a classy player. When given the opportunity, I believe he will grasp it."

In addition to the familiar names mentioned above, in this training session, Coach Park Hang Seo also called up Khuat Van Khang. The captain of U20 Vietnam is playing very impressively at the youth level.

According to experts, Van Khang could make some impression if he is placed in the role of an attacking midfielder, similar to the way he was used by coach Gong Oh Kyun in the U23 Vietnam team at the 2022 AFC U23 Championship. At that time, the two midfielders behind Van Khang (in the 3-5-2 formation) could be Hung Dung and Tuan Anh.