An opportunity for Xuan Manh to return to the national team.
(Baonghean.vn) - Both Trong Hoang and Dinh Trong are suspended from playing in the match against Malaysia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers for the Asian region on March 31st. This is an opportunity for Xuan Manh to return to the national team after a long period of injury.
Coach Park's next task, and the national team's next task, is to win the away match against Malaysia on March 31st in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers for the Asian region.
Currently, the Vietnamese team is leading with 11 points, followed by Malaysia (9 points), Thailand (8), UAE (6) and Indonesia (0), so the match with Malaysia is decisive for the first place in Group G.
Trong Hoang's role
The suspension of Dinh Trong doesn't significantly affect the team because even without the suspension, he might not have been a starter in the three-man defense. The trio of Duy Manh, Que Ngoc Hai, and Tien Dung are earning the trust of the South Korean coach, providing solid cover for each other.
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| Trong Hoang is suspended for the Vietnam national team's rematch against Malaysia. (Photo: Archival image) |
As the player with the most appearances for the national team, Hoang "the Bull's" class is already acknowledged. In addition, Trong Hoang has a good physical foundation, plays intelligently, and possesses some of the best crosses among Vietnamese midfielders today.
Most importantly, Trong Hoang can play as a wing-back in a three-defender formation, or as a right midfielder or right-back when the coach wants to switch to a four-defender system. With Hoang, Coach Park can change tactics without needing to use any substitutions.
Substitute
Currently, Coach Park still has three other options: Vu Van Thanh (HAGL), Duc Huy (Hanoi FC), and Xuan Manh (SLNA). Van Thanh and Xuan Manh are primarily wingers, while Duc Huy is mainly a central midfielder, but Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem occasionally uses him to replace Van Kien on the right wing.
Van Thanh is the player most adapted to the ving-back position, but the HAGL player's physical condition is not as good as Duc Huy and Xuan Manh. If attacking is needed, the HAGL player clearly has the advantage, but if defensive solidity is required, Duc Huy and Xuan Manh are the better choice.
In fact, Coach Park could still call Ho Tan Tai up to the national team, but his chances of starting are probably slim. What he showed at the SEA Games 30 suggests that even being a substitute is a great achievement.
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| If Xuân Mạnh finds his form and effectively neutralizes his teammate Quang Hải on the national team, he has a strong chance of being included in the squad and starting the match against Malaysia. (Photo: SLFC) |
Thus, the first five matches of the 2020 V.League will be an opportunity for Xuan Manh to showcase his abilities to coach Park Hang-seo. Matches against Saigon, Binh Duong, SHB Da Nang, and Thanh Hoa will be important warm-up games for Xuan Manh to impress the South Korean coach. These are not overly strong opponents, allowing SLNA and Xuan Manh to demonstrate their prowess. When needed, coach Quang Truong will switch wings, with Van Duc moving to the right wing alongside Xuan Manh.
Xuan Manh faces a major challenge when he takes on Van Dung and Quang Hai at Hang Day Stadium on February 19, 2020. If he is in good form and can effectively neutralize his teammate Quang Hai from the national team, Xuan Manh has a strong chance of being included in the squad and starting the match against Malaysia.
Clearly, among the three names, Xuan Manh, Van Thanh, and Duc Huy, Xuan Manh and Van Thanh have a greater chance than Duc Huy. Of the three players, Xuan Manh is the one whose club coach has positioned him in the exact role that Coach Park is interested in. Both Xuan Manh and Van Thanh have already proven their technical skills and are tenacious in one-on-one situations. The question is whether Xuan Manh can seize the opportunity to make an impression at the beginning of the season.
