Will Cong Phuong score in Myanmar?

Ho Chi Minh City's opponent in the AFC Cup 2020 is Yangon United, the team that finished 3rd in the Myanmar National League 2019. In the AFC Cup last season, Yangon United was defeated by Hanoi FC with a score of 2-5 in the group stage at home, although they won the first leg at Hang Day Stadium 1-0.

The landlord is stubborn.

The club nicknamed “The Lions” has won the MNL championship five times (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018), finished as runners-up three times (2014, 2016, 2017) and won two Myanmar Cups (2011, 2018). Yangon United’s coach is former Myanmar national team player Myo Min-Tun.

Ho Chi Minh City's opponent in the AFC Cup 2020 is Yangon United, the team that finished 3rd in the Myanmar National League 2019. Photo: Yangon United.

The home team owns many top stars of domestic football such as Yan Aung Kyaw, Pyae Phyo Aung, Maung Maung Lwin. These are all Myanmar national players, they have a strong playing style, using many long passes.

Although Yangon United won 13 out of their last 15 home matches, experts said that this was an evenly matched opponent, and even coach Chung Hae-seong's players were considered better.

This season, Ho Chi Minh City has invested heavily in both the coaching staff and players, but the results have not been as expected. In the friendly tournament to prepare for the season, his teammates lost 0-1 to Korean teams Jeonnam Dragons and Ulsan Hyundai in mid-January.

At the AFC Champions League 2020, they lost to the home team Buriram Utd with a score of 1-2 and soon left the competition in the lower arena of the AFC Cup. Having in hand talented players such as Nguyen Cong Phuong, Vo Huy Toan, goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung, and a series of foreign players with impressive resumes such as Amido Balde or Viktor Prodell, the Korean coach still has not had satisfactory results.

To prepare for the match against Yangon United, coach Chung Hae-seong's players had a practice match with B.Binh Duong and lost 0-1. Nguyen Cong Phuong continued to play poorly in the 86 minutes in Thailand.

Sitting on the bench for too long at Sint-Truidense has made Cong Phuong's playing style lack the necessary softness. In the match against Thai team Buriram United, coach Chung Hae-seong started with a 3-4-3 formation, with the Nghe An striker being positioned as a right winger.

The combination of striker Pape Diakite and Matias with striker No. 21 did not create many dangerous situations in front of the Buriram United goalkeeper. Currently, in the Thong Nhat Stadium team, Phi Son and Cong Phuong both have a technical style of play. How to prevent the two Nghe An players from stepping on each other and abusing their techniques, slowing down the game, is a headache for Chung Hae-seong.

This was a match where the midfield was judged to have failed to complete its tasks of blocking, supporting defense, and providing the ball to the front line. In addition to Cong Phuong being replaced, midfielders Phi Son and Vu Anh Tuan also had to leave the field before the match ended.

Hope

Ho Chi Minh City's opponent in the AFC Cup 2020 is Yangon United, the team that finished 3rd in the Myanmar National League 2019. Photo: Yangon United.

But with coach Chung Hae-seong without foreign duo Viktor Prodell and Jadue due to injury, it is likely that Cong Phuong will continue to play alongside foreign player Amido Balde. Mr. Chung will return to the familiar 4-4-2 formation when Phi Son and Huy Toan will play on the wings. The midfielder duo Anh Tuan and Hoang Thinh are still not in the groove while Van Thuan is injured, so Ho Chi Minh City has no other choice.

According to the original schedule, Cong Phuong, Phi Son and teammates were to play at home in the opening match of Group F. But due to the coronavirus outbreak, the home team Thong Nhat asked the AFC to change the stadium and they had to play away at Yangon.

Just 6 days after the AFC decision, Ho Chi Minh City Club was busy preparing from applying for a foreign visa, buying plane tickets, booking hotels in Myanmar but everything went smoothly. The biggest problem now is that Cong Phuong needs to quickly integrate with the new team, get the best form before being called up to the national team.

After Anh Duc left the team, Tien Linh and Duc Chinh did not have the necessary stability, so warriors like Cong Phuong will have an important role in the match against the Malaysian team.