The journey of 'panning for gold' of two teachers Park Hang-seo and Akira Nishino

Looking for a center forward

The list of Vietnamese national team members who are still old enough to participate in the 30th SEA Games is making fans worried. First of all, the most regrettable absence belongs to Dinh Trong, a Hanoi FC player who was injured in V.League 2019, Van Hau has gone abroad to the Netherlands, goalkeeper Tien Dung and striker Ha Duc Chinh are stuck on the bench at the club, Quang Hai is showing signs of overload.

Without much analysis, we know that Van Hau, Quang Hai and Tien Linh are expected to be the pillars for each line. So right after the match at Thammasat Stadium, Mr. Park and his 21-year-old student Tien Linh rushed to the airport to China to join his assistant Kim Han-yoon and U22 Vietnam to prepare for the friendly match. Before that, U23 Vietnam also had 2 other quality reinforcements from the national team, Thanh Thinh and Hoang Duc.

Compared to Nham Manh Dung (Viettel), Trong Hung (Thanh Hoa), Hong Phuoc (An Giang), Ha Duc Chinh (SHB.Da Nang), Tien Linh's performance and experience are superior. Currently, in V.League 2019, the young striker of B.Binh Duong has scored 4 goals, and the match against Thailand is the 8th time he has played for the national team.

Tien Linh is still expected to be in the U22 Vietnam attack line. Photo SPORTS

With a good physique (1.78m tall and 67kg), Tien Linh was assigned to play as a striker for B.Binh Duong and the national team. At the 30th SEA Games, Tien Linh and Ha Duc Chinh are expected to shine in this position in the journey to conquer the Men's Football Gold Cup.

In the match against Thailand at Thammasat Stadium, Tien Linh, not Cong Phuong or veteran Anh Duc, was the starter because Mr. Park wanted to give the 21-year-old a chance to gain experience. Facing the tall home players like center back Tom Bihr, Hemviboon and midfielder Kesarat, it seemed that Tien Linh was not really confident.

With 11 players being replaced in the match against U22 China, it seems that the opportunity will be given to both Ha Duc Chinh and Tien Linh. The journey to find the highest player in the attack of U22 Vietnam seems to be quite difficult when V.League teams often use foreign players for this position.

Refreshing the prodigySupachok

For a long time, if “Thai Messi” Chanathip has been considered the conductor of the national team, then the 21-year-old player Supachok Sarachat is the soul of the U23 Thai attack. The Thai press even said that Supachok is a “copy” of Chanathip, from his physique, playing style and playing position.

That is also the reason why Supachok has played for Thai champions Buriram United for 5 years, played 92 matches and scored 17 goals, but has only played for the national team twice. Compared to Chanathip, experience is what Supachok Sarachat lacks.

In the journey to win a ticket to the 2020 AFC U23 Championship, with the striker pair Hoang Duc, Duc Chinh and midfielder Quang Hai, we once defeated U23 Thailand 4-0. In that match, Supachok Sarachat played as an organizing midfielder, but because striker Supachai Jaided played ineffectively and lacked control in attacking, Dinh Trong was red carded and stripped of the right to play.

Without a goal scorer, strikers Kannarin, Worachit, and Sisarut were always unlucky in front of goalkeeper Tien Dung, making the Thai people worried about defending the gold medal at the 30th SEA Games. Meanwhile, in addition to Hoang Duc and Duc Chinh, defender Thanh Chung and reserve player Thanh Son all shone and scored goals.

Supachok Sarachat (7) was voted by the organizers as the best player of the match. Photo: Changsek

In a situation where “necessity is the mother of invention”, with no Thai striker in good form, Mr. Akira Nishino had to promote Supachok Sarachat and Thitipan, who are both defensive midfielders, to play as strikers. Number 7 Supachok played on the left wing in the direction of the Thai national team’s attack.

The Thai prodigy made Duy Manh run out of breath and had to commit a foul to stop the attacks on this wing. Up to 4 out of 7 shots of the Thai team towards the Vietnamese goal, 2 dangerous situations of the home team were from Supachok's feet. At the end of the match, if goalkeeper Van Lam had not come out in time to close the angle, Supachok would have scored.

The fact that Supachok Sarachat was voted by the organizers as the best player of the match, overshadowing "Thai Messi" Chanathip, has helped Mr. Akira Nishino have new options for both the national team and U22 Thailand.

Behind the clashes between Thai and Vietnamese football, there are always new factors and new discoveries. SEA Games 30 is the meeting point where the two coaches will compete to win the gold medal in men's football.