U22 Vietnam and the appearance of attacking style of play

It must be affirmed that the new path, new steps still have many stumbling blocks and difficulties but are on the right track, getting better and better, and we need patience and trust to be able to achieve satisfactory results at the final finish line.

U22 Vietnam in the Bronze Medal match at SEA Games 32. Photo: Hai Hoang

After the match, Mr. Troussier made a very important point, related to the excellent performance of the 20-year-old defender from Song Lam Nghe An, Ho Van Cuong, who scored 2 goals. The coach said that "In this match, Ho Van Cuong is a defender but scored 2 goals. That is the appearance of the attacking style of play that I want to show" and "I want the goals to come from calculated arrangements".

The “appearance of the attacking style” is clearly shown in the 3 goals of U22 Vietnam in the above match. Almost all the balls were passed from the goalkeeper to the central defenders, through the central midfielders’ feet and then to the left or right, even from the central defenders passing straight up to a high-up full-back (most clearly to Minh Trong) so that this player could pass the ball to Van Tung, Van Khang or Van Cuong to score as we have seen. Van Tung’s scoring luck (5 goals, 4 matches) is a proof. But when Van Tung was absent due to injury, meaning U22 did not have a really good target striker, there was Van Cuong, a high-up full-back, who has long been a passer, becoming a real “penalty box killer”.

Also in this match, we saw Van Truong and Van Do have chances to score but failed, while Van Cuong had 2 chances and both were converted into goals of a lifetime. This performance is not unfamiliar to Song Lam Nghe An fans, when Van Cuong performed in the U17 national championship 2020, especially 2 goals in the final match against U17 Nuti Food Academy.

It is no coincidence that Van Cuong and Xuan Tien were promoted to the first team of Song Lam Nghe An early and are now regular starters in the V-League. Van Cuong's generation was not trained in the same way as Troussier before, so it is understandable why he was scolded by his coach during his training period in Vung Tau. But the coach's bright eyes correctly assessed this young player and the position he would take on. Then Van Cuong was the starter in most of the matches at the SEA Games and the more he played, the more he "scored" in the eyes of fans and the coaching staff, becoming a typical position of the "attacking style of play" that was gradually taking shape.

Except for the match against the two strongest and most eager teams of the SEA Games, U22 Indonesia and U22 Thailand, where our team was behind early and first, the attacking and scoring style was clearly shown in all the matches of U22 Vietnam. Van Tung opened the scoring early and against opponents U22 Laos from the 2nd minute, against U22 Singapore later but leading from the 36th minute, against U22 Malaysia from the 28th minute, Van Cuong scored against U22 Myanmar from the 8th minute. The first half of the matches was the time when U22 Vietnam attacked most clearly, most effectively, and scored the earliest goals... also proving the attacking style that Mr. Troussier required his students to implement, demonstrate and gradually perfect with each match.

Of course, after the recent matches, U22 Vietnam also clearly revealed many problems throughout the training process until the end of the tournament. The ability to counter high balls, second balls, and resolve set pieces is a weakness of the U22 Vietnam defense and defense system. Van Chuan and Huy Hoang do not have the advantage and experience in this difficult problem. Duy Cuong, Quang Thinh, Tien Long, Tuan Tai, and Ngoc Thang do not have good jumping power or the ability to stick to opponents well. Thai Son and Duc Phu are physically strong but cannot be the type of defensive or attacking midfielder that U22 Vietnam desires. Van Truong on the attack line is not the best and most expected version after the U20 continental tournament...

The "face of the attacking style" of U22 Vietnam is gradually taking shape with typical names such as Tuan Tai, Van Cuong, Minh Trong, Van Tung, Van Khang, names that quietly but have contributed a lot such as: Thai Son, Duc Phu, Van Do... After this tournament, what everyone is looking forward to is that U22 Vietnam players will be used more in V-League 1 and 2, trying harder to maintain and upgrade this new style of play in practice and competition. There may be some factors that will be promoted to the Vietnam national team to continue this journey. The rebuilding and renewal of Mr. Philippe Troussier starting from SEA Games 32 has had successes and failures but is being proven to be in the right direction, with confidence, requiring patience and multi-faceted results, many tournaments will respond in the coming time./.