Southeast Asian teams are gradually finding ways to counter Coach Park Hang-seo's 3-4-3 formation.

Following the victory against U22 Indonesia, Coach Park Hang-seo extended his personal record during his time leading Vietnamese national teams. Currently, the South Korean coach remains undefeated against Southeast Asian teams.

From the perspective of the Vietnam U22 team, coach Park Hang-seo has had a streak of 13 "unbeaten" matches, including 11 wins and 2 draws, scoring 40 goals and conceding 4. However, when facing tough opponents, the number of goals scored has been very low.

Except for the two easy victories against U22 Brunei and Laos at the recent SEA Games 30, there have been several matches where opponents have gradually neutralized Coach Park Hang-seo's 3-4-3 formation. Indonesia is a prime example of this.

In the match against this opponent in the 2020 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnam U22 team also had to rely on a moment of brilliance from Trieu Viet Hung to secure a narrow victory. Up until the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the clearest evidence was the two goalless draws against Thailand.

The U22 Indonesian team is the most recent team to pose difficulties for Coach Park Hang-seo's playing style. Photo: Hai Hoang

Even in the match against Malaysia, the Vietnamese national team had to rely on a moment of individual brilliance from Quang Hai to secure all three points. And most recently, against U22 Indonesia, the individual contributions of Thanh Chung and Hoang Duc were undeniable.

In fact, the 3-4-3, 5-2-3, or 5-4-1 formations used in defense are actually formations geared towards counter-attacking. That's why the Vietnamese national team only conceded 1 goal in 5 matches in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and 2 goals at the 30th SEA Games.

The Vietnamese national team's chances of winning are only higher when facing opponents who are attack-oriented and leave gaps in their defenses. In such situations, players who excel at counter-attacking will be able to capitalize on their advantage.

Through the dramatic victory against U22 Indonesia, viewers witnessed the extremely sound tactics of Indonesian coach Indra Sjafri. He has been coaching Indonesian youth teams since 2011. In the match, Indonesia did not rush to attack and defended tightly, using short passes and quick one-two combinations near the 16.5-meter area to escape danger.

Set pieces helped the Vietnam U22 team improve their goal-scoring ability. Photo: Hai Hoang

This was further demonstrated when they were gifted a goal from a mistake by goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung. From the 23rd to the 64th minute, the Vietnam U22 team was helpless in front of the Indonesian goalkeeper's goal. And even when Thanh Chung equalized 1-1, we only scored the second goal in injury time.

In terms of shooting quality, we had 12 shots but only 6 were on target. Against Indonesia, Quang Hai and his teammates made the most of 11 corner kicks. When crosses aimed at Van Hau for wall passes were no longer effective, shifting the focus to other players like Thanh Chung proved successful once.

With Indonesia's densely packed defense, the Vietnamese players had to resort to long-range shots. This is a common attacking tactic for any team facing a deadlock. While Trong Hoang spearheaded the attack, at the crucial moment, Quang Hai, after a challenge, created space for Hoang Duc to score a spectacular goal.

Trong Hoang was dropped from the Vietnam U22 team by coach Park Hang-seo to play as a right winger (attacking midfielder). Photo: VFF

In an interview with the South Korean press ahead of the 30th SEA Games, coach Park Hang-seo left open the possibility of tactical changes, admitting: "The current formation is clear, and we have to decide whether to continue using it or not. The tactics definitely need to be refined."

I also have concerns about the issues if I use a two-striker formation. You might argue that 5-4-1 is too defensive. But I think football needs to be pragmatic. It's fine against Southeast Asian teams, but I'm not sure a two-striker formation would be useful against stronger opponents. I want a team with a lot of fighting spirit, but I'm worried about the changes.

Following the draw against Thailand, coach Park Hang-seo hinted at improving the Vietnamese national team's playing style, particularly in attack. This was evidenced by Trong Hoang being moved to play as a winger to create attacking opportunities, while Quang Hai was assigned to the other wing.

Coach Park Hang-seo admitted the need to change and improve the 3-4-3 formation. Photo: Hai Hoang.

In the match against U22 Brunei – a relatively weak opponent – ​​Coach Park Hang-seo began experimenting with a two-striker formation featuring both Duc Chinh and Tien Linh. And when needing to strengthen the midfield, Quang Hai was moved back to play central midfield, while Hoang Duc played freely but frequently pushed forward.

In fact, Southeast Asian teams are showing great interest in Quang Hai, and he is forced to sacrifice his attacking role to play a playmaking role. Of course, Quang Hai will also penetrate the opponent's penalty area when necessary; the goal against Malaysia from a pass by Que Ngoc Hai is a prime example.

Perhaps Coach Park Hang-seo's 3-4-3 formation is no longer new to Southeast Asian teams. However, the difference in skill level and individual talent has helped the Vietnamese national teams win in a breathtaking manner. From Anh Duc, Quang Hai, Thanh Chung to Hoang Duc.

Quang Hai is increasingly playing in a deeper position and has fewer favorable free-kick opportunities. Photo: Xuan Thuy

In the upcoming matches, the Vietnam U22 team will face Singapore U22 and Thailand U22. These two teams have undoubtedly studied the playing style of Coach Park Hang-seo's team. Of course, things will be much easier if goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung learns from his mistakes and avoids putting his teammates in difficult situations.

In the long run, at the national team level, when Phan Van Duc and Tran Dinh Trong return, coach Park Hang-seo will certainly have to find ways to improve the team's playing style. However, no matter what, he will remain loyal to the five-defender formation.

Fans were expecting a team with a strong attacking force, but unfortunately, Coach Park's top priority is defense, and he himself defended his stance against playing with four defenders. This means we will have to live in suspense for some time longer.

Waiting for coach Park Hang-seo and the Vietnam U22 team to break their own record in the match against Indonesia.

(Baonghean.vn) - After the victory against U22 Laos, coach Park Hang-seo affirmed that he will field the strongest lineup in the match against U22 Indonesia, with the appearance of Quang Hai, Van Hau, Hung Dung, Trong Hoang…

Trung Kien