Completing the Vietnam national team "AFF Cup 2018 version"

After a 10-year wait, the Vietnamese national team is back in the AFF Cup final and has a great chance to win the championship for the second time. Coach Park is the "star of all stars," from devising tactics and preparing for the match, to inspiring his players throughout the 90 minutes and making incredibly precise tactical adjustments.

The 3-4-3 formation is considered the core of the Vietnamese national team at this AFF Cup, although he has switched to a 4-1-4-1 or a "variant" 5-3-2 on several occasions. Names like goalkeeper Van Lam, the three central defenders Ngoc Hai, Duy Manh, and Dinh Trong, and wingbacks Van Hau and Trong Hoang have been "default" in Coach Park Hang-seo's mind.

Que Ngoc Hai is showing increasing maturity at this AFF Cup. Photo: Internet

To date, Xuan Truong has played a total of 285 minutes at the 2018 AFF Cup and has not really been himself, a "flawed version" of the tournament. Improving the creative abilities of midfielders Duc Huy, Hung Dung, or Huy Hung is considered a better solution than changing the defensive effectiveness of the player from Tuyen Quang.

Without quickly improving his defensive skills, Xuan Truong could easily follow the path of Phan Nhu Thuat, a once-talented midfielder for SLNA.

Captain Van Quyet's winger position seems to have found a worthy replacement in number 20, Van Duc. His ability to dribble and create chances – areas where Van Duc still lacked compared to his senior teammate – has significantly improved at the 2018 AFF Cup.

Meanwhile, the goal-scoring and defensive abilities of the player from Nghe An province far surpass those of his seniors and are being honed by Coach Park every day. The SLNA player is also a versatile player, playing in many positions in the national team.

Veteran striker Anh Duc is having one of his most successful tournaments playing as a center forward. However, the 1985-born player lacks consistency. After shining in Bacolod (Philippines), Anh Duc was lackluster at My Dinh Stadium. Therefore, Tien Linh will be the near-future choice to fill the position of senior player for Binh Duong FC.

The Vietnamese players stood firm after being tackled roughly by the Philippine players. Photo: Internet

In terms of personnel, Cong Phuong is a special case and the most difficult player to utilize in the Vietnamese national team at the moment. The HAGL academy player is a "nightmare" for equally matched teams, because his dribbling style is "impossible to stop, impossible to tackle".

Overly aggressive defenders are easily penalized by the referee when facing Cong Phuong, even a penalty. But against a superior team, and the Vietnamese national team needs speed in counter-attacks, Cong Phuong becomes a "bottleneck" because his dribbling style relies heavily on individual technique.

On several occasions, the Vietnamese national team's goal was under threat because Cong Phuong lost possession during attacking situations. Defensive ability has never been a strong point for players from the HAGL academy.

Emotional control is also a significant improvement among Vietnamese players at the AFF Cup. Generally, hot-headed players like Trong Hoang and Ngoc Hai have shown great restraint in the face of the back-and-forth attacks from Stephan Schrock, Alvaro Silva, Reed, Iain Ramsay, and others.

The physical fitness of the Vietnamese team surprised their opponents at the 2018 AFF Cup. In the two semi-final matches, despite having to endure malicious tackles from opponents and falling to the ground many times, Quang Hai, Van Hau, and even Anh Duc and Trong Hoang stood firm. Even the Philippine players were hit by our attacks, when central midfielder Manuel Ott (8) was injured.

There are still a few adjustments needed for the Vietnamese national team, the "2018 AFF Cup version," to lift the championship trophy, but even at this point, Coach Park's tactics have captivated countless fans.