Has the SLNA center-back been dropped by coach Park Hang Seo?

(Baonghean) - Given what has been happening with the Vietnam U23 team recently, many believe that Hoang Van Khanh has very little chance of being used by coach Park Hang Seo.

1. At the M-150 Cup friendly tournament held in Thailand in early December, Hoang Van Khanh was one of the few players from the Vietnam U23 team who did not get to play. This led experts and fans to question: Does coach Park Hang Seo dislike the type of central defender that Hoang Van Khanh plays?

Otherwise, why would the 1995-born defender be benched in an experimental tournament like the M-150 Cup, while the South Korean coach fielded almost all of his players?

At the M-150 Cup, Hoang Van Khanh did not play a single minute for the Vietnam U23 team. Photo: Internet

At first glance, many people feel that the way coach Park Hang Seo treats central defender Hoang Van Khanh is unfair. However, if the issue is considered carefully, the decision of the strategist from South Korea is completely understandable.

The reason Coach Park didn't use Hoang Van Khanh in the M-150 Cup is because the central defender had just gone through a period of continuous training with SLNA. Compared to most of his teammates in the Vietnam U23 team, Hoang Van Khanh (and also Pham Xuan Manh) had the shortest rest time before joining the U23 team (SLNA only finished their National Cup final against B.Binh Duong on November 30th). Therefore, Coach Park Hang Seo didn't want to risk using Hoang Van Khanh and Pham Xuan Manh in a tournament that was only for testing purposes. Based on what happened in Thailand a few weeks ago, the attacking line is the top priority for Coach Park Hang Seo to test.

Therefore, the strategist born in 1959 deliberately allowed central defender Hoang Van Khanh to rest and take advantage of the time to recover his physical fitness as best as possible for the upcoming journey of the Vietnam U23 team.

2. In the friendly match between the Vietnam U23 team and Ulsan Hyundai FC (2-3) on December 21st, Hoang Van Khanh was included in the starting lineup by coach Park Hang Seo. Unfortunately, the central defender from SLNA had a rather disappointing performance during his time on the field.

The first goal conceded by the Vietnam U23 team came from a foul by Hoang Van Khanh on an opposing player inside the penalty area. The second goal was due to the 1995-born center-back failing to keep up with the sprint of striker Kim In Sung of Ulsan Hyundai. Witnessing his players' consecutive mistakes, coach Park Hang Seo had to substitute Hoang Van Khanh at the beginning of the second half. This led many to believe that Hoang Van Khanh's future looked bleak.

Admittedly, the former Vietnam U19 player has lost quite a few points in the eyes of coach Park Hang Seo. However, as a professional coach, Park Hang Seo understands that what happened to Hoang Van Khanh in the match against Ulsan Hyundai was perfectly normal.

Remember, these were only Hoang Van Khanh's first minutes playing for the Vietnam U23 team under coach Park Hang Seo in an official match. Mistakes aren't a big deal. Hoang Van Khanh isn't the only one playing poorly for the Vietnam U23 team; even players who get regular playing time like Do Duy Manh, Tran Dinh Trong, Doan Van Hau... constantly make elementary mistakes.

Coach Park Hang Seo's decision to substitute Hoang Van Khanh at the beginning of the second half was simply to test out new players and strategies. That doesn't mean the possibility of Hoang Van Khanh being dropped from the Vietnam U23 team is impossible. Currently, Coach Park Hang Seo has many good central defenders at his disposal. Besides Hoang Van Khanh, there are also Do Duy Manh, Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Le Van Dai, Tran Dinh Trong, etc.

If Hoang Van Khanh doesn't quickly impress coach Park Hang Seo, his chances of participating in the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Championship with the Vietnam U23 team are slimmer than ever.

Thanh Hung