AFF Cup 2018 Final: Hung Dung to play from the start?

Unlike other coaches who usually send their captains to technical press conferences before the match, Mr. Park Hang-seo often reserves this consolation position for players who are not on the field in the main lineup. Recently, goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung and before that, captain Van Quyet both sat outside the field after the press conference. Therefore, many fans were worried about Trong Hoang's appearance at the press conference before the match with Malaysia.

Defense 1 change

With the current force, the defense will not have many changes when goalkeeper Van Lam is doing his job quite well. The mistakes of Lam "Tay" that led to the loss against the Philippines need to be corrected rather than replaced.

Remember, the biggest task of the Vietnamese team at Bukit Jalil is not to lose before thinking about winning. No one believes that Mr. Park will choose the preemptive attack option when we have had too many lessons, including the 2009 SEA Games, where U23 Vietnam was hit by a "counterattack" from the Malaysians.

Whether Trong Hoang will play or not is still uncertain. Photo: TK

The trio of Ngoc Hai, Dinh Trong and Van Hau have shown signs of "disarray" but simply the opponents in the next round are stronger than the group stage. This is not the time to bring in new players to replace them, especially after 6 matches they have only lost 2 goals.

Van Hau’s left wing was “exhausted” after being repeatedly tackled by the Philippine players, but his youthfulness allowed him to recover quickly. If Trong Hoang has not fully recovered, Hong Duy will have the opportunity to replace him, the HAGL player who had a decent debut. If Duc Huy is pushed to face Sumareh, Huy Hung will have the opportunity to play as a central midfielder with Hung Dung.

Surely the host Malaysia will use the central midfield duo Akram Mahinan - Syamer Kutty Abba to play close, intense and not afraid of collision. Duc Huy and Hung Dung are still the names chosen to create a long-range defense. In the hands of Mr. Park Hang-seo, Huy Hung has returned from injury and has been put to the test. The confrontation between them at Bukit Jalil Stadium will decide the outcome of the match.

In fact, Mr. Park Hang-seo can still use Quang Hai or Xuan Truong for the central midfielder position. But that seems to be when he wants to change the "formation" in the match rather than put their names in the starting lineup. Xuan Truong's disappearance for 60 minutes on the field against the Philippines has shown Mr. Park who will be more suitable in the match where both sides give and take.

Keep the attack intact

Quang Hai is not a bad solution for the central midfielder position, but when both he and Van Duc are playing well in the attacking midfielder position for Anh Duc, there is no reason to drop down. Coach Park still has Cong Phuong and Van Quyet who are good attacking midfielders. Cong Phuong just scored the 3rd goal in this AFF Cup after being brought in late in the match against the Philippines. This is the type of player who can change the game when brought in because of his high ability to make a difference.

“Song Duc” is still the optimal choice in attack. Photo: AFF

However, when coach Tan Cheng Hoe is sure to put two wingers, Safawi and naturalized player Mohamadou Sumareh, who are physically fit, on the field, the Vietnamese team using the midfielder pair Quang Hai and Van Duc is the best solution. These players, in addition to their attacking ability and powerful long-range shots, also participate in supporting defense better than Cong Phuong and Van Quyet.

“Rookie” Cong Phuong is a player with good personal skills, daring to attack directly, so it is more suitable when coming on the field from the bench. When the opponent is tired, the solo move of the Nghe An player is a dangerous and effective move because it is unpredictable. Meanwhile, Van Quyet will come on the field to keep the ball, prolonging the time if the Vietnamese team has the advantage at Bukit Jalil.