Vietnam team: Bui Tien Dung or Tran Dinh Trong?

It's not too early to say, 2 out of 3 positions have been taken by default.Que Ngoc Haiand Do Duy Manh, in case they ensure 100% fitness. Thus, Tran Dinh Trong and Bui Tien Dung will have to compete directly for the remaining 2 positions in the central defense of the Vietnam National Team.

Center back Bui Tien Dung. Photo: Anh Khoa

Nearly 3 years ago, at the AFF Cup 2018, Bui Tien Dung was just a backup option for the aforementioned trio. Objectively speaking, the talent and good coordination between Que Ngoc Hai, Do Duy Manh, and Tran Dinh Trong contributed greatly to the championship achievement of coach Park Hang-seo and his team (the Vietnamese team conceded the fewest goals in the tournament with only 4 goals).

However, due to the injury he suffered at the AFF Cup 2018, Tran Dinh Trong was unable to join the Vietnam National Team to participate in the Asian Cup 2019 and 5 matches in Group G of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Asia. The player chosen by Coach Park Hang-seo to replace Tran Dinh Trong was Bui Tien Dung, a player from Ha Tinh.

Now, Tran Dinh Trong is back. Experts and football fans in the country are wondering: Will Bui Tien Dung or Tran Dinh Trong be used by the Korean strategist, alongside Que Ngoc Manh and Do Duy Manh in the central defender position of the Vietnam National Team in the UAE?

Center back Tran Dinh Trong (number 21). Photo: AFF

To be fair, Bui Tien Dung is in more stable form than the center back of Hanoi Club. According to statistics, in the first phase of V.League 2021, the player currently on the payroll of Viettel played in 11/12 matches and scored 1 goal (the only goal in the match SLNA 0 - 1 Viettel in round 6).

While Bui Tien Dung is in stable form for Viettel, Tran Dinh Trong has not been able to maintain his position in recent matches of Hanoi FC in the first phase of V.League 2021. After 12 rounds, Tran Dinh Trong has only played 5 times, and 2 of them were from the bench.

Furthermore, compared to his teammate Bui Tien Dung, Tran Dinh Trong is at a disadvantage as he will be absent from the match between the Vietnam National Team and the Indonesia National Team, which will take place on November 7, due to suspension. Obviously, the chances for Tran Dinh Trong in the next matches are quite slim.

Only when one of the three players, Que Ngoc Hai, Do Duy Manh and Bui Tien Dung, is injured, receives a penalty card or plays too badly, will coach Park Hang-seo dare to risk changing the central defender position. It seems that Tran Dinh Trong will have to play the role of the fourth central defender, according to the priority order of the Vietnam National Team at this time./.