Who will compete for Van Duc's position in the Vietnam team?

When Van Toan is not in good form and Van Quyet is not called up to the national team, Quang Hai often takes on the position of right midfielder or central midfielder. Coach Park trusts SLNA's number 20 on the other wing, even though Van Duc does not contribute much to the scoring or assisting record.

Weak 2 wings

However, in2022 World Cup qualifiersand AFF Cup 2020, Van Duc did not play as expected when he lost his ball feeling as well as his confidence. When the Vietnamese team plays defensive counter-attack, Mr. Park needs a winger who can dribble, create breakthroughs as well as support the defense well.

Xuan Manh and To Van Vu will compete for the winger position. Photo: AT

As commented by the Indonesian press, the two wings are currently the weak point of the Vietnamese team when Van Hau and Trong Hoang are not playing. To balance the ability to defend and attack on the wings, Coach Park has chosen Van Vu for the upcoming national team training session. The midfielder born in 1993 from Thanh Hoa has always been a dangerous drill for Binh Duong Club with his agility and speed.

In the past 3 seasons, To Van Vu has been a mainstay player and has contributed many top goals for Binh Duong Club. This midfielder has had 8 goals and 10 assists after 51 matches. And in all 51 matches, Van Vu has played from the start with a very strong physical foundation and endurance. "Van Vu is a capable player. His strengths are physical strength and speed. Van Vu is very strong," coach Dang Tran Chinh of Binh Duong Club commented on his student. These are important factors that Coach Park is looking for, necessary conditions to help Van Vu do well in his defensive support duties when joining the national team. Along with that, another strength of Van Vu is that when needed, he can play as a full-back. When playing for Dong Nai, this player has played in this position many times.

Coach To has noticed Van Vu twice but he could not stay in the team. This rookie tried to get points from the strict Korean coach by trying to keep the ball and create difficult passes. But this invisibly made Van Vu lose points because Coach Park encouraged the players to play fast, with few touches and reasonable movements. Unlike in Binh Duong, when Van Vu was the conductor and his teammates prioritized the ball, on the national team he needed to play simpler and faster football.

Xuan Manh returns

SLNA player Xuan Manh can play well on both wings. Photo: FBNV

In fact, besides Van Vu, Xuan Manh is also a player that Coach Park will try on the left wing. Only appearing briefly in the second leg of the semi-final against Thailand at the AFF Cup 2020, but the SLNA player made it difficult for defender Theerathon Bunmathan, causing him to get angry and hit him.

Xuan Manh's strength is his ability to stick to the defense. With his physique, physical strength and tenacious fighting spirit, Xuan Manh is a pillar in SLNA's defense. The plus point is that this player can play well on both wings, both as a defender and midfielder. To be a main player, this versatile player must improve his ability to cross the ball and dribble along the sidelines. This player's individual technical movements are quite stiff, slow to move around in tight spaces, making it easy for the opponent to predict and neutralize.

The talent of To Van Vu and Xuan Manh is undeniable, but how to get into the official lineup of the national team is not simple. The competition of the players will help coach Park have more choices when it is necessary to renew the playing style. Van Duc himself must also increase his training to stand firmly on the left wing of the national team.