Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh: Van Lam is the weak point, Cong Phuong plays well

PV: Hello Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh, how do you evaluate the performance of the Vietnam National Team in the 1-0 victory over Malaysia in the recent 2022 World Cup qualifiers at My Dinh?

Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh:We put the team together in a very short time because Hanoi FC was busy competing in the AFC Cup 2019, some players came back from abroad, their physical condition was not really good. However, overall, the whole team defended very tightly.

In the first minutes of the match, Tuan Anh was a bit confused, not yet able to catch up with the fast playing style when entering the game. In the first half, the Vietnam team played under pressure. However, the players' ball control ability gradually improved and made significant progress.

The Malaysian team lost themselves at My Dinh against the Vietnamese team. Photo: Trung Kien

It must also be said that after being 1 goal behind, the Malaysian team could not show their full potential and their coordination became disjointed. I did not expect Malaysia to be so bad. The audience was very happy with the victory but not as jubilant as in previous confrontations.

Reporter: The Vietnamese defense kept a clean sheet and Malaysia did not have a single shot on target. However, in your opinion, what are the weaknesses that need to be overcome by the Vietnamese team?

Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh:When Van Toan was substituted, Viet Phong had a chance but I think this player has no speed. If the last move of Viet Phong belonged to Van Toan, he would have done much better. Playing in this position requires suddenness and high speed.

In this match, goalkeeper Van Lam made many mistakes, there were two situations where we almost lost. A corner kick and a throw-in, both were his mistakes. Van Lam's weakness is controlling the 16m50 area and not being able to make good judgments.

Goalkeeper is a position that coach Park Hang-seo has been quite worried about recently. Photo: Nhu Nguyen

I think Van Lam needs to focus more or coach Park Hang-seo should consider options like Nguyen Manh or Tuan Manh in the future. If in the future, the Vietnam national team has Phillip Nguyen, he will definitely be the top choice.

PV: So what about our only goal? What do you think about the coordination and scoring of Ngoc Hai and Quang Hai in that phase?

Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh:In the goal of the Vietnam team, Quang Hai's approach to the ball was very skillful, fast and very difficult. Of course, their goalkeeper also played poorly because he was quite slow. However, it was a very effective way of playing.

Quang Hai's brilliant goal. Photo: Xuan Thuy

If Cong Phuong - Van Toan retreated slightly, they attracted the attention of the opponent's defense, then Quang Hai suddenly rushed forward to escape the offside trap. The first time he was offside and the second time he succeeded. The Thai team is very dangerous with plays like this. The most important thing is to have someone who can make accurate passes. We should promote such combinations.

Reporter: After the match, there was a lot of criticism for Cong Phuong. Although, coach Park Hang-seo highly appreciated the tactical tasks of this player. In your opinion, how did Cong Phuong play in the match against Malaysia?

Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh:Because we played defensive counter-attack, Van Toan and Quang Hai stayed back, so Cong Phuong was a bit isolated up front. Cong Phuong tried very hard, put a lot of pressure on the field, held the ball very well and if we had someone to approach and advance faster, there would have been dangerous combinations. Because Cong Phuong had the ball, immediately there were 4 Malaysian defenders pressing. He was forced to move and lose the ball.

Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong surrounded by Malaysian defense. Photo: Trung Kien

Perhaps Mr. Park allowed Cong Phuong to break through if he had to manage on his own. That is the sensitivity and intelligence in Cong Phuong's tactics. We often say that Cong Phuong did not play much in Belgium, but I think he is one of the strikers with sensitivity and maturity.

Reporter: In the last match, player Pham Xuan Manh was not registered by coach Park Hang-seo. The reason is because Xuan Manh did not do well when he was tested in the position of a wing-back. In your opinion, will the SLNA player have a chance in the match against Indonesia?

Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh:With Xuan Manh's height, it is very difficult to play in that position. The three central defenders in the 3-4-3 formation must have good height and know how to play with both feet. If they play on the left, they must be proficient with the left foot like Van Hau. When the defense has to receive diagonal passes, if the opponent's striker is tall, it is very easy to stumble into a header.

Pham Xuan Manh still went to Indonesia with the Vietnam National Team. Photo: Nhu Nguyen

Trong Hoang's right wing position is very suitable for Xuan Manh, even better than Van Thanh. He is quite intelligent, has the ability to penetrate, score goals and head. There will come a time when Trong Hoang is overloaded and Xuan Manh is a good option. And another problem for Trong Hoang is that he has to be more alert to avoid getting a card. I think Xuan Manh can replace Trong Hoang in the next match.

Reporter: On October 15, Vietnam's opponent will be Indonesia, a team that we often have poor results against in official matches. What do you think about the chances of winning for Coach Park Hang-seo and his team?

Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh:After 3 defeats, both home and away, it can be said that Indonesia's defense is weak. If we keep the 3 strikers Van Toan, Quang Hai and Cong Phuong, we will have more goals. Our players are faster, smarter and coordinate better.

I watched Indonesia play against UAE and their coordination was not very coherent. When Vietnam's defense is highly focused, it plays very tightly. So Van Lam needs to be more focused or he will be a weak point for Vietnam.

PV: Thank you very much for sharing!

Impressive moments in Vietnam's victory over Malaysia

(Baonghean.vn) - Quang Hai's goal, a series of scoring opportunities; the wonderful cheers of the fans were the most beautiful moments in the match where Vietnam won 1-0 against Malaysia in the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers.