U22 Vietnam - U22 Laos: Winning by 2 goals and... double the worries

I don't understand why.Coach Philippe Troussierput away Van Khang, Van Truong and Cong Den when he put into the match a "strange" midfield with the central pair Duc Phu - Thai Son? Maybe he put Van Tung in from the start so that this striker could "open the game" with a header goal in the 2nd minute to create a surprise, which was right because after all, this position is closest to the opponent's goal so it has the closest chance of scoring. Van Tung did what he needed to do but he could not create the necessary pressure on the opponent's defense, which disappointed us.

The second confusing thing is that after scoring a goal and maintaining the game in the first half, I don't understand why Mr. Troussier withdrew right-back Van Cuong and right-back Tien Long from the field at the beginning of the second half? Van Cuong played well in the first half when he defended tightly and actively joined the attack on the right wing. Although not all the passes or the runs were good, in general, the wing that Van Cuong was in charge of was not pressured and chaotic compared to the opposite wing.

U22 Laos caused many difficulties for U22 Vietnam. Photo: Hai Hoang

If Van Chuan had not caught the shot from the combination that Tuan Tai could not block, U22 Vietnam would have been equalized in the first half. That said, the problem if any in the defense is on the left wing, where the left-sided center-backs Tuan Tai and Van Do are in charge, not the right wing, so why Van Cuong was replaced is very difficult to say! Similarly, Tien Long may not be excellent, but being replaced early is also very worrying.

In the first half, we felt that Mr. Troussier did not field the strongest lineup when he left out both Van Khang and Cong Den. But then from the beginning of the second half, Mr. Troussier brought Quang Thinh onto the field to play as a central defender, pushing Duy Cuong to the right and Tuan Tai to the left as usual. The coach moved Duc Phu to play as a right fullback to replace Van Cuong, bringing Cong Den to replace Duc Phu's position.

As a result, Cong Den played poorly, passed the ball wrongly, and lost the ball, causing U22 to lose control of the game against an opponent who was playing more and more excitedly. Only the crossbar and... Van Chuan, along with the lack of luck of the Lao strikers, helped U22 Vietnam avoid conceding a goal.

Defender Ho Van Cuong in the match against U22 Laos. Photo: Hai Hoang

When Van Khang and Xuan Tien entered the field, the game situation was not much better for U22 Vietnam. Van Khang continuously switched right and left and had a favorable pass for Quoc Viet "the rookie" to score in the 90th minute, bringing luck to coach Troussier and his team. A win in terms of results, but in terms of playing style, personnel, physical strength... U22 Vietnam was truly "lost" to the opponent considered weaker, U22 Laos.

In fact, the best players of U22 Vietnam were all put on the field in the opening match against U22 Laos. The strikers all "opened fire", completely different from the long period of being silent. But it seems that, except for Van Chuan who showed his solidity and reliability in the goal, almost all the remaining positions were disappointing.

Playing against U22 Laos, center back Duy Cuong had a cramp and was lying on the field at the end of the match, which was a sad thing in terms of physical preparation. Quang Thinh was trusted in the central defender position but did not show confidence in aerial combat as well as taking on the most important role of blocking in front of the home goal. Cong Den entered the field in the second half but did not show the familiar image of a flexible and strong player in the middle of the field. Xuan Tien only entered the field in the 76th minute, too little to show his ability as an attacking midfielder...

An easy win should have meant confidence, but unfortunately, U22 Vietnam brought a real worry, because U22 Laos will not be an opponent on par with U22 Singapore or U22 Thailand in the near future, because luck does not always accompany. It seems that what has been shown in the past 2 months, at the Doha Cup or the friendly matches before the tournament, is a common face, a specific result, and not at all a cover-up or any other hint from the new coach and the new lesson is not at the right time, right place?

Let's say U22 Vietnam wanted to control the ball, wanted to play proactively but could not prove anything against an opponent that was not too strong. Tuan Tai and Duy Cuong did not know who to coordinate with to bring the ball up, had to pass long hopelessly as a way to clear the ball and were "rebounded" by the opponent, making it very difficult to handle in the next step.

Without a proper defensive midfielder, without a necessary organizer, the pressure on the three central defenders and the goalkeeper is already huge when only having to face U22 Laos. And if the opponent is U22 Thailand, it is difficult to think, difficult to say how U22 Vietnam will "neutralize" this situation to... survive safely?

This is really tough, Mr. Troussier. If after just one match, the defending SEA Games men's soccer champion is already sweating, bleeding, having cramps, revealing all their tricks, and finally "giving" fans a huge worry... hanging right in front of them?