Thai football moves forward, Vietnam 'falls back'

(Baonghean.vn) -The result of the match between U21 HAGL and U21 Thailand at the Thanh Nien Newspaper International U21 Tournament was not worth the difference in player quality and approach to the match between the two young teams.

In 2013, in the framework of Group B of the U19 Southeast Asian tournament in Indonesia, U19 Vietnam had a match with U19 Thailand. That year, the U19 Vietnam team entered the field with a squad consisting mostly of players from the HAGL Arsenal JMG Academy. The U19 Thailand team also fielded a squad consisting of players from the first generation of the Arsenal JMG Thailand Academy.

As a result, U19 Vietnam came from behind to beat U19 Thailand with a score of 3-2. Three years have passed, and yesterday we witnessed another dramatic match, but the Thais were the winners.

Startle

First of all, we cannot use the excuse that they are too young because this generation of players is about to turn 22 and the opponent U21 Thailand is even younger. Remember that 2/3 of their squad is the generation of U19 Thailand that defeated U19 Vietnam in Cambodia this year.

U21 Thailand's low-touch play proved effective.

As someone who has closely observed the first batch of HAGL JMG students, the pride of the country's youth football training, we cannot help but worry. If the SLNA model could not find stars like Van Quyen, Cong Vinh... because it had reached the ceiling, now the generation of Cong Phuong, Dong Trieu, Hong Duy, Van Son, Thanh Hau of the first batch of HAGL JMG has also reached the threshold. The most typical example is the star Cong Phuong.

Of the three players who went abroad to “train” (along with Tuan Anh and Xuan Truong), Cong Phuong’s skills were the most impaired. Although he was still regularly involved in youth and reserve team matches, Cong Phuong “suddenly” lost his sense of the ball. Coach Graechen instructed his players to pass the ball to this Do Luong player a lot, but as soon as the ball reached his feet, it was snatched away.

Young Thai players often play pressing, the defenders have good physical strength so they can close the ball very quickly. Meanwhile, Cong Phuong handles things too complicatedly, losing many touches. The way strikers play from the 90s has become harmless. Although imitating, it will take a long time for Cong Phuong to learn Messi's ability to cover the ball and solo through the opponent's forest.

And worry

It is easy to see that the biggest difference between the two training centers SLNA and HAGL JMG is the perspective on physical strength and speed. The young players of Pho Nui are said to have outstanding individual skills but lack strength and speed. Competing domestically, this shortcoming is not revealed, but when meeting the young players of Thailand, U21 HAGL exposed everything.

In the role of central midfielder, Thanh Hau is very active in moving but lacks strength in the midfield disputes with Sombatyotha, Veerachart, Shamphaodi in the U21 Vietnam and U21 HAGL colors. On the two wings, Van Son is opposed and Hong Duy is constantly "smelling the smoke" of the Thai midfielders, the players of Pho Nui are inferior in physical strength, speed and strangeness, without the ability to trap, press, and suppress the opponent.

Van Toan is a rare player who can still maintain his form compared to 3 years ago.

In fact, in the U21 HAGL squad, the 3 national players Xuan Truong, Van Thanh and Van Toan can compete equally with their opponents. Compared to the U21 Thai midfield including names like Samphaodi, Siripala, Sanmahung, Phitiwat, Haiprakhon, Xuan Truong is even more outstanding at times. The duo of players from Hai Duong still make the Thai players wary because they appear and disappear on both wings. But that alone is not enough to create a bright appearance for U21 HAGL.

After the defeat at the U19 tournament 3 years ago, Thailand paid that debt right on Vietnamese soil when they defeated U21 Hoang Anh Gia Lai (U21HAGL) with a score of 1-0. The worrying thing is not the score but that the Thais have found a formula to counter the typical playing style of the HAGL JMG academy. This is also the reality of youth football in the two countries, while Thailand is moving forward, Vietnam seems to be moving backward...

N@T