Is Coach Park Hang Seo 'playing with knives'?

(Baonghean.vn) - Despite the failure of his defensive experiments at the recent M-150 Cup 2017, the Korean strategist is still determined to apply the 3-4-3 formation for the Vietnam U23 team in the near future.

In the friendly match against Ulsan Hyundai Club on December 21, Coach Park Hang Seo returned to the formation of 4 defenders playing in a horizontal line. Two quick goals conceded in the first half and the decisive goal in the match's extra time made Mr. Park even more determined to pursue the 3-4-3 formation, the formation that he has worked hard to build since taking charge of the Vietnam U23 team.

Sharing with the press, Coach Park Hang Seo revealed: “With traditional formations, we only have 2 central defenders. Now this number has increased to 3, helping the defense line to be thicker and better for the U23 Vietnam team. On the other hand, in the upcoming Asian Finals, the opponents are tall and strong, so we need to build appropriate tactics.”

Coach Park Hang Seo during a training session of the Vietnam U23 team. Photo: Internet

That means Coach Park Hang Seo considers 3-4-3 as the main formation of the Vietnam U23 team at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship. The choice of the Korean strategist has met with mixed opinions. Many experts support it, but many experts feel insecure about the defense of the Vietnam U23 team. It is known that each coach has his own coaching philosophy and no formation is perfect.

However, with what happened at the M-150 Cup 2017 and the current personnel of the Vietnam U23 team, Coach Park Hang Seo's choice of the 3-4-3 formation as the main formation is extremely risky, no different from him "playing with knives". Here we do not discuss the advantages of the 3-4-3 formation, but only mention the weaknesses of this formation, specifically against the opponents of the Vietnam U23 team at the upcoming 2018 AFC U23 Championship.

All three teams: U23 Korea, U23 Australia and U23 Syria are superior in terms of physique and physical strength compared to Coach Park Hang Seo's players. These teams only need to apply simple playing styles such as wing-crossing - heading, or long passes over the line, to make the defense of U23 Vietnam often put in a state of alarm.

If the two wing-backs do not have enough speed and strength to retreat to cover the gaps behind them, the home team's goal will be in danger. The two goals conceded in the match against U23 Uzbekistan and the penalty kick in the match against U23 Thailand at the M-150 Cup 2017 are typical examples of the weaknesses of the 3-4-3 formation.

The goals conceded at the M-150 Cup 2017 reflected the weaknesses of the 3-4-3 formation that coach Park Hang Seo is applying. Photo: Internet

In terms of danger, the U23 Korean team, the U23 Australian team, and the U23 Syrian team are much more dangerous than the opponents that Coach Park Hang Seo and his team faced in Thailand a few weeks ago. Remember, Vietnamese players have never been highly rated for their ability to defend against cross-wing and header situations from their opponents.

Therefore, if coach Park Hang Seo is still determined to apply the 3-4-3 formation for the Vietnam U23 team at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, the consequences will be huge, as the Vietnamese saying goes: "playing with knives will one day cut your hand".

Thanh Hung