Phan Van Duc - The card up coach Park Hang Seo's sleeve

Coach Park Hang Seo's decision to include Phan Van Duc in the starting lineup surprised not only the Malaysian team, but also made experts and Vietnamese football fans somewhat confused. Throughout the past time, captain Nguyen Van Quyet has always been the first choice for an official position in the attack of the Vietnamese team from the reign of Coach Miura, Nguyen Huu Thang to Coach Park Hang Seo.

Phan Van Duc (number 20) was in the starting lineup in the match against the Malaysian team. Photo: Internet

Putting away Nguyen Van Quyet to use Phan Van Duc from the start in the match against the Malaysian team was a very bold move by the Korean strategist. During the training trip in the "land of kimchi" before participating in the AFF Cup 2018, Phan Van Duc did not show much in the friendly matches of the Vietnamese team. Most recently, in the match against the Lao team, Duc "tiger" also did not leave a clear mark, even though he was put on the field right at the beginning of the second half.

But coach Park Hang Seo understands his players better than anyone, and his decision has brought about results beyond expectations. In the match against Malaysia, with his enthusiastic and intelligent playing style, Phan Van Duc has completed the assigned task quite excellently. The midfielder from Nghe An has not only played the role of an attacking player but also actively fought for the ball, supporting his teammates in the defense from afar. Thanks to the appearance of Phan Van Duc, the central midfielder pair Luong Xuan Truong - Nguyen Quang Hai had a lot less trouble.

However, Coach Park used Phan Van Duc from the beginning not only to support the defense. In fact, Coach Park Hang Seo sent Duc "Cọt" onto the field to help the Vietnamese team's attack play more coherently and sharply against the tight defense of the Malaysian team. The worthy reward for Coach Park Hang Seo's trust was 2 passes that tore apart the away team's defense by Phan Van Duc.

From a smart pass from Duc "cot", Doan Van Hau had a pass back to Nguyen Anh Duc to finish right in the 16m50 box. The striker wearing shirt number 11's shot was inaccurate, the ball found Nguyen Cong Phuong's position and the Malaysian team's net was up in the 14th minute. Not stopping there, in the 60th minute, in a quick counter-attack situation of the Vietnamese team, Phan Van Duc had a pass that tore apart the Malaysian team's defense, helping Nguyen Anh Duc defeat goalkeeper Khairul Chemat in a face-to-face situation.

Phan Van Duc and his teammates share joy with Nguyen Anh Duc. Photo: Internet

The combination between Phan Van Duc and Nguyen Anh Duc in the 2-0 scoreline against the Malaysian team reminded us of the combination between these two players in the 2-0 win of the Vietnam Olympic team against the Nepal Olympic team at the 18th ASIAD. Nguyen Anh Duc's opening goal in that match also came from an accurate pass with Phan Van Duc's left foot. Witnessing the harmony between the two players named Duc, experts and Vietnamese football fans admired the talent of Coach Park Hang Seo even more.

Although he only appeared on the field for 60 minutes, Phan Van Duc still made experts and fans satisfied with what he did in the match against the Malaysian team./.