Vietnam National Team: Dinh Trong returns, where does Que Hai go?

The story of key players being continuously called up to the national team due to injuries, the midfield being the team's biggest concern... are prominent issues that have been carefully examined and dissected.

Vietnam national team actively practicing. Photo courtesy of Hai Hoang

One of the “insiders” of those hotly discussed topics is central defender Dinh Trong, who spoke out with the intention of refuting public opinion and asserting that nothing happened when “my injury has healed for a long time”. With a player of good character, good expertise, and excellent performance, his speaking out can soon bring confidence to public opinion and fans first. The matter of expertise after injury recovery must be based on actual practice and the final assessment of the coaching staff before “deciding” on the final list.

Whatever the case, it's good news forVietnam National Teambefore entering the difficult 3rd qualifying round ahead. A defense that is considered solid and reliable, but in the match against UAE in the final round of the 2nd qualifying round, conceding 3 goals in 40 minutes is a clear number and needs to be immediately corrected. And let's say Dinh Trong is coming back and "as dangerous as before", what will the story be like? How will head coach Park Hang-seo calculate to use Dinh Trong, meaning who among the central defenders Que Hai, Tien Dung or Duy Manh who are considered stable must be eliminated?

Currently, the player playing the center/middle position of the 3 center backs is Que Ngoc Hai. There is no reason to “abolish” the captain of the Vietnam national team if there is no special or unexpected incident and I am sure that will never happen. Everyone knows that Dinh Trong plays best in the center position, of course he can still play on the side when necessary. But there will be no way that Mr. Park Hang-seo will refresh the defense by putting Dinh Trong in the center, then pushing Ngoc Hai to play on the side or replacing him completely?

Surely, Mr. Park Hang-seo needs a type of central defender who plays calmly, intelligently, and links well with 3 central defenders like Dinh Trong, so if this central defender really returns, the teacher's "pleasant headache" problem will have to be thoroughly solved. At that time, it is very possible that Tien Dung or Duy Manh will accept the swap, temporarily wait for the opportunity to come sooner or later or work in "shifts", for example? Who knows, at that time, Ngoc Hai will be promoted as a real central midfielder, the lowest player in the midfield like he used to play at SLNA when necessary, in the context of the midfield of the Vietnam National Team "having problems"?

While one central defender is likely to return, another is at risk of being absent due to an injury that has not fully recovered, that is Van Hau. Everyone knows the reason why the coach is so fond of Van Hau, but it is almost time to find a possible solution to protect the long-term careers of talented young players. Van Thanh and Hong Duy have both shown their readiness if trusted to take on the left flank of the Vietnam national team in the extremely important role of attacking and defending.

Recent training sessions of the Vietnam national team show the image of a team that will rely on defense as the foundation against the top opponents of the continent. So who will be trusted to join the mobile and flexible "concrete block" in front of the goal is the question being asked, including central defender Dinh Trong after he officially "announced" to the public.

Actually, playing defense - counterattack is not a new lesson for the Vietnam National Team. The problem is the lesson learned after the second qualifying round and the reality of the team's strength. Basically, the defense and attack of the Vietnam National Team still maintain the necessary reliability. Only the midfield always poses new problems in terms of strength (for example, Hung Dung, Tuan Anh... are injured) or the way to organize and arrange the team.

In the match against UAE in the second qualifying round, Mr. Park Hang-seo used both Quang Hai and Xuan Truong as two number 6s and calculated with the agility and skill of these two players to both block and transfer through the bridge Van Duc - Hoang Duc but could not succeed. Minh Vuong's 30 minutes on the field and the result of the 2 equalizers of the Vietnam national team could be a bright data for Mr. Park to reorganize the midfield to suit the high requirements of the upcoming matches.

In short, the issue of force and all calculations and changes are common in the national team. The expectation of the return of Dinh Trong or any player is a happy and hopeful thing. Of course, the national team environment is a fiercely competitive, equal environment, for the common goal and mission. It is a competition for "all to win", although there may be questions here and there (and it is not difficult to find the answer) such as "Dinh Trong returns, where does Que Hai go?".