What weaknesses did the Vietnamese team reveal in the match against Malaysia?

Fatal weaknesses

However, the developments on the field also showed some limitations ofVietnam teamin the above match. Knowing yourself, knowing your enemy, the limitations in the last match can help the red team a lot when heading towards the final match of the group stage against UAE.

First of all, the midfielders' fouls led to dangerous free kicks like the one taken by Safawi-11. Luckily, Tan Truong dived in time to push the ball away for a corner kick in the last minute of the first half.

Here, it is clear that a tight defense and accurate judgment of the goalkeeper are needed. But that is not always successful when handling the player taking the free kick is tricky and unpredictable. Therefore, minimizing that difficulty is something that every player on the field must "know by heart", especially against opponents who are good at exploiting set pieces.

Van Duc missed a chance to score from a shot outside the penalty area. Photo: bongdaplus.vn

The second most "heart-stopping" thing was the two high ball situations in the 16m50 area leading to a very dangerous close-range header by Syafig-20 in the 38th minute (Tan Truong made an excellent save) and a high cross into the penalty area in the 71st minute (Van Hau's foul on de Paula-16, leading to a penalty and equalizer) showing that the Vietnamese team's defense is revealing a fatal weakness and there is no other way but to quickly overcome it.

Because the Vietnamese team was forced to retreat too deep for the opponent to control the midfield area, they easily had accurate crosses that were very difficult to defend against. In the first situation, the ball flew towards the far post, Duy Manh could not intervene when the opponent jumped, and in the second situation, Van Hau intervened too much, leading to a foul and a penalty.

Cong Phuong played aggressively during his time on the field. Photo: bongdaplus.vn

The question is, when the opponent cleverly passes the ball beyond Que Ngoc Hai's control, how will Duy Manh and Tien Dung handle it when they are physically inferior to their opponents (especially naturalized players) and are passive in the defensive game? Obviously, at that critical moment, it is necessary to have the wingbacks (attacking full-backs) Van Hau and Trong Hoang retreat in time to cover.

In the above match, Trong Hoang had many times had great difficulty facing an opponent who was superior in physique and youth (even though on the right wing he always stopped Supareh-13), while Van Hau played very well throughout the match, but there was a moment of lack of alertness as many people know, which should be considered a "life lesson" for not only Van Hau.

Need to change tactics

Obviously, depending on the situation on the field, when the Vietnamese team actively attacks and holds the ball, there is no room for the opponent to cross the ball, which may be intentional or lucky. At that time, a player with a modest height like Trong Hoang will not reveal a weakness for the opponent to exploit in aerial situations.

But in a situation where we have to huddle together to protect our achievements, when we cannot "attack as a way of defending", we must try our best to limit certain weaknesses in the team by actively supporting each other, covering for each other in time, even having to replace players, rotate positions, especially versatile players to counter the opponent and take the initiative in the match.

Tien Linh scored in two consecutive matches for the Vietnam national team. Photo: vnexpress.net

His workPark Hang-seoreplacing Xuan Truong and Cong Phuong with Duc Huy and Van Thanh (both in the 57th minute), then Trong Hoang and Tien Linh with Van Toan and Duc Chinh (in the 79th minute), all aimed at reviving the midfield, both the center and the two wings, even creating two steel defensive layers with the presence of both Trong Hoang and Van Thanh on the right wing, neutralizing from afar and intercepting dangerous crosses from the opponent.

That is certainly what the upcoming UAE opponent has researched and studied when they have home field advantage, good physique, are ready to play aggressively on the Vietnamese team and launch punches aimed at the weaknesses of the Vietnamese team. The problem is that Coach Park Hang-seo does not let the opponent know clearly about the Vietnamese team as he changed 5 positions in the match against Malaysia compared to the match against Indonesia. Not to mention, when Quang Hai returns, the midfield of the Vietnamese team will be more proactive, making it impossible for the opponent to underestimate.

But limiting the above weaknesses is still the first priority of the Vietnamese team, before thinking about tactical plans for the upcoming most difficult match.

Chau Phu