Waiting for the "explosion"?!

(Baonghean) - The playing style of the Vietnam U23 team under coach Miura is a big question mark, causing conflicting opinions. Many people are disappointed and doubt the Japanese coach's ability as well as Vietnam U23's chances of qualifying for the finals. However, according to Mr. Nguyen Hong Thanh - General Director of SLNA Football Joint Stock Company, it is very possible that when entering the official match, Vietnam U23 will display a completely different playing style…

The Vietnam U23 team is training in Malaysia. (Image from the internet)

The expert, dubbed the "Kong Ming of Nghe An football," commented: "In the recent training matches of the Vietnam U23 team, Coach Miura mainly experimented with formations. Players were constantly moving in and out, even playing out of their preferred positions, so the team's playing style lacked stability and a clear direction, which is understandable. The tournament hasn't started yet, so it's too early to praise or criticize Coach Miura. But one thing can be affirmed: the Japanese coach's working style is very professional. However, I find some of Coach Miura's experiments very puzzling. For example, the case of Manh Hung, this player is only used to playing as a central defender and plays very well, but sometimes Coach Miura puts Manh Hung on the wing. Clearly, with a completely new position that requires a player to be very agile and have stamina to constantly attack and defend, Manh Hung did not play well, often being slow to react. If Coach Miura uses Manh Hung on the wing like that in an official match, it will be a mistake."

Commenting on Vietnam U23's 1-3 defeat against Thailand U23, Mr. Nguyen Hong Thanh suggested that the team seemed to have underestimated their opponent. Thai players generally have excellent physical fitness, having received basic football training from a young age, while Vietnam U23 had just gone through a period of intense physical training, resulting in significant fatigue. Therefore, in one-on-one challenges, the Vietnamese players were consistently outmatched. However, Vietnam U23 still played an attacking game, constantly pushing forward, leaving gaps in their defense which the opponent exploited, leading to three goals conceded. The bright spot in Vietnam U23's performance was their more incisive attacks; Coach Miura's players created several opportunities, but the finishing from the forwards was not good enough.

Despite his rather lackluster performances recently, striker Nguyen Cong Phuong is still highly regarded by the "Kong Ming of Nghe An" (a famous Vietnamese strategist): "Cong Phuong has the qualities of a big star; his football skills are exceptional. The problem is that Cong Phuong is still too young and lacks the experience to make wise decisions in specific situations. Cong Phuong doesn't yet know how to surprise opponents to avoid being predictable..."

"In short, it's very difficult to accurately assess the Vietnamese U23 team at this time. Because in football, coaches often have their own tactics, and creating elements that make the opponent complacent or surprised can bring great results. For example, at the 1954 World Cup, the German team suffered a heavy 3-8 defeat against Hungary in the group stage, but that was a match where both teams had already secured a place in the quarterfinals. When the two teams met again in the final, the complacency of the Hungarian players cost them dearly when the Germans came back to beat them 3-2 and win the championship. Or like the U23 Vietnam vs. U23 Malaysia match at the 2009 Sea Games, our players easily defeated Malaysia 3-1 in the group stage, but when they met again in the final, U23 Vietnam lost 0-1."

Most recently, in the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, the Vietnamese team beat Malaysia 2-1 away and seemed poised to reach the final, but suffered a painful defeat at home in the return leg. Coach Miura certainly hasn't forgotten this lesson, so it's possible that he's been trying to conceal his playing style in friendly matches, knowing that opponents will study it thoroughly. This is a way to create a surprise when the two teams officially face each other. If that's true, then on March 27th, the U23 Vietnam team might explode with a completely different playing style. Conversely, if the U23 Vietnam team continues to display a stagnant and lackluster performance as they have recently, then Coach Miura's capabilities are truly questionable,” Mr. Thanh commented.

Hoang Hao