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

(Baonghean.vn) - Given what has been happening with the Vietnam U23 team recently, many believe that the chances of the central defender from SLNA being favored by coach Park Hang Seo are quite slim.

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 didn't get to play. This led experts and fans to question: Does coach Park Hang Seo dislike the type of central defender Hoang Van Khanh is?

Otherwise, why was the 1995-born defender relegated to the bench in an experimental tournament like the M-150 Cup, while the South Korean strategist fielded almost all of his players?

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 and extremely accurate.

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 play for 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 Vietnam U23 team (SLNA only finished playing the National Cup final against B.Binh Duong on November 30).

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

Therefore, coach Park Hang Seo did not want to risk using Hoang Van Khanh and Pham Xuan Manh for a tournament that was merely an experiment. 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 intentionally allowed center-back 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. It's not that the 58-year-old strategist doesn't care about Hoang Van Khanh, as rumored in the media.

2.In the friendly match between the Vietnam U23 team and Ulsan Hyundai FC (2-3) yesterday (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 central defender failing to keep up with the sprint of striker Kim In Sung of Ulsan Hyundai FC.

Witnessing his players' repeated mistakes, coach Park Hang Seo had to substitute Hoang Van Khanh at the beginning of the second half. This led many Vietnamese football fans to fear a bleak future for Hoang Van Khanh.

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.

Despite starting the match against Ulsan Hyundai, Hoang Van Khanh (center) delivered a disappointing performance. Photo: Internet

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 because he wanted to experiment with new players and new strategies.

That's not to say the risk of Hoang Van Khanh being dropped from the Vietnam U23 team is impossible. Currently, coach Park Hang Seo has quite a few 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...

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