Concerns about the backup plan of the Vietnam team

In fact, under coach Park Hang-seo, the Vietnamese team's playing style is often tightly organized, ensuring good defense before thinking about winning.

In fact, the defense and midfield have long been the strengths of the Vietnamese team with names like Van Hau, Dinh Trong, Duy Manh...

Mr. Park's concerns

Before the "big battle" with Thailand, the absence of Dinh Trong, Van Hau, and Trong Hoang due to injury, and Que Ngoc Hai not being in the best form, made Mr. Park's first task to "patch up" the defense.

Cong Phuong is always the strategic card of Mr. Park Hang-seo, sent onto the field 15 minutes of the match to create a breakthrough. Photo: VPF

With a team that has so many changes in defense, the front line must not only limit losing the ball but also keep the ball well and control the tempo of the match. Cong Phuong is also one of the links that the opponent will study quite carefully for this big match.

Optimize the use of Cong Phuong

As Sint Truidense coach Marc Brys commented: “He is agile, has speed and always plays directly”. This is the strength and also the concern of coach Park Hang-seo and many people who understand CP15’s playing style. Thai national team midfielders such as Thitipan Puangchan (Oita Trinita), Phitiwat Sukjitthammakul (Chiangrai United) and Chanathip Songkrasin (Consadole Sapporo) are certainly no stranger to the dribbling style of this Nghe An-born player.

"Cong Phuong also needs to be wiser, knowing when to or not to overcome his opponent" - Sint Truidense coach Marc Brys shared with the press. Photo: Sint Truidense.

The fact that Cong Phuong was only registered as a reserve player and did not get to play made many people worried. It was quite strange that Coach Brys sent the player born in 1995 to play 20 minutes in the 0-6 defeat of his team at Club Brugge, which is currently at the top of the rankings.

In the rare minutes he was on the field, Cong Phuong could not show much because the home team was too strong. The only match Cong Phuong was not registered again was Sint-Truidense's first win (against Standard Liege).

“Cong Phuong is still weak in tactics. He has not adapted to the tactical system that I am applying. Cong Phuong also needs to be smarter, knowing when to or not to overcome his opponent" - Sint Truidense coach Marc Brys shared with the press.

Certainly, the comments and assessments for the Vietnamese players will be remembered by the staff of the Thai national team coach Akira Nishino. Recently, Cong Phuong has always been the strategic card of Mr. Park Hang-seo, sent onto the field in the first 15 minutes of the match to create a breakthrough.

Tactical card

With Cong Phuong's current situation in Belgium and the way Mr. Park uses his players, the possibility of the Nghe An striker playing in the starting lineup is not high. But in the current context, Cong Phuong is certainly still an extremely important tactical card in the match in Thailand.

Sitting on the bench for 5 matches, only being on the field for 20 minutes made CP15 not have the best feeling for the ball. Photo: Sint Truidense.

More than ever, fans hope that Cong Phuong will soon realize his strengths and weaknesses through his years of "training" on foreign football fields. He must be the one who knows how to take advantage of opportunities in the final moments of the match to decide the fate of the Thai people. Before that, CP15 must ensure the safety of the Vietnamese team's defensive counter-attacking game when holding the ball at his feet.