SLNA center-back Hoang Van Khanh: A puzzling decline in form.

Remarkable growth

After a loan spell at XSKT Can Tho, the former Vietnam U19 national team player was recalled by SLNA's management to participate in the 2016 season. Immediately, Hoang Van Khanh secured a starting spot alongside his senior teammate Que Ngoc Hai. With his ideal physique (1.80m tall) and aggressive yet intelligent playing style, the 1995-born center-back was expected to be the "second Nguyen Huy Hoang" at Vinh Stadium.

From being a backup option for his two senior teammates, Que Ngoc Hai and Pham Manh Hung, the player from Tan Ky (Nghe An) has become a mainstay in the defense of the Nghe An team. In the 2016 V.League season, Hoang Van Khanh played in a total of 22 out of 26 matches, equivalent to 1927 minutes. In the 2017 V.League season, the center-back wearing jersey number 5 played in 24 out of 26 matches, equivalent to 2059 minutes. These are incredibly impressive numbers for a player who is only 23 years old this year.

Thanks to the consistent performance of the central defensive duo Que Ngoc Hai and Hoang Van Khanh, SLNA was one of the teams with the fewest goals conceded in V.League 2016 and V.League 2017 (36 goals in each season). In particular, Hoang Van Khanh played a significant role in SLNA's 2017 National Cup victory.

With outstanding performances in the 2017 season, the central defender born in 1995 was called up by coach Nguyen Huu Thang to the Vietnam U22 team to participate in the 29th SEA Games held in Malaysia (August 2017).

Que Ngoc Hai and Hoang Van Khanh are considered one of the top central defensive pairings in the V.League today. (Photo: Archival image)

At that tournament, Hoang Van Khanh was considered a "secret weapon" of coach Nguyen Huu Thang. In the two matches against weaker opponents, U22 East Timor and U22 Cambodia, the central defender from SLNA was not in the starting lineup.

It was only when the Vietnam U22 team faced two tough opponents, Indonesia U22 and Thailand U22, that Hoang Van Khanh was given a starting position. This demonstrates how highly coach Nguyen Huu Thang values ​​Hoang Van Khanh's talent and importance to the Vietnam U22 team.

Entering this season, expectations from experts and fans for Hoang Van Khanh were quite high. Objectively speaking, in the early stages, the center-back wearing number 5 was the most solid link in SLNA's defense, not Que Ngoc Hai, Tran Dinh Hoang, or any other player. Unfortunately, since the domestic league resumed after the break to make way for the Vietnamese Olympic team's participation in ASIAD 18, Hoang Van Khanh has not been able to maintain his usual excellence.

The inexplicable decline

In SLNA's 0-4 defeat against FLC Thanh Hoa in the second leg of the National Cup semi-final on September 5th, the player from Tan Ky (Nghe An) was the one who made the most individual mistakes. Hoang Van Khanh's unfortunate slip, which allowed Rimario (FLC Thanh Hoa) to score the fourth goal in the 83rd minute, is a prime example. It's no wonder that in 3 out of the last 4 matches, Hoang Van Khanh rarely played the full 90 minutes.

Despite not being suspended or plagued by injury, the 1995-born central defender was not given a single minute of playing time by the SLNA coaching staff in the two matches against SHB Da Nang (round 22) and Than Quang Ninh (round 23). It wasn't until the matches against FLC Thanh Hoa (round 24) and Sanna Khanh Hoa (round 25) that Hoang Van Khanh returned to the starting lineup, but he didn't prove himself much.

Towards the end of this season, Hoang Van Khanh's form had declined significantly. (Photo: Archival image)

Even in SLNA's 2-1 victory over Sanna Khanh Hoa, the former Vietnam national team player, number 22, caused his team to concede a penalty. Witnessing his player's clumsy play, in the 83rd minute, coach Nguyen Duc Thang decided to substitute Hoang Van Khanh, replacing him with Que Ngoc Hai. Observing SLNA's recent matches, everyone noticed that Hoang Van Khanh's form had deteriorated drastically.

It is almost certain that the player from Tan Ky (Nghe An) will not be included in the upcoming training camp of the Vietnamese national team. According to the list recently published by the media, coach Park Hang Seo did not call up central defender Hoang Van Khanh. This also means that the dream of wearing the Vietnamese national team jersey to participate in the AFF Cup remains unfulfilled for the player wearing number 5 for SLNA.

At the end of the 2018 season, the contracts of central defenders Que Ngoc Hai and Pham Manh Hung with SLNA will expire. The burden in the defense of the Vinh-based team will fall on the shoulders of Hoang Van Khanh. Therefore, fans in Nghe An have reason to worry as the form of the player wearing jersey number 5 is "declining rapidly".