U23 Vietnam: Quality addition

(Baonghean.vn) - This time, coach Park called up 35 players. Before leaving for Thailand, he eliminated 10 players but still added more.Nguyen Trong Dai (Viettel) and Pham Xuan Manh (SLNA). What makes himPark is interested in these 2 players who just participated in the National U21 Finals?

First of all, it must be affirmed that this is the last time to add players, before that, Coach Park has called up 2 more players, including the goalkeeper position. The Vietnam U23 team participating in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship in Beijing only has 23 players, so after the M150 Friendly Tournament in Thailand from December 9 to December 17, Coach Park Hang Seo will eliminate 4 more players.

Xuan Manh is a quality addition to the right wing of U23 Vietnam. Photo: Dung Nguyen

Need versatile player

Unlike his predecessor, Mr. Park Hang Seo decided to experiment with the 3-defender formation. This is a popular formation in Europe, the first person to systematically apply 3-4-3 was coach Alberto Zaccheroni (another Italian), when he led Udinese in the 1996-1997 season. Currently, Chelsea under coach Conte or Man City under Pep are the clubs that favor this formation.

3-4-3 is a tactical formation that can be changed flexibly. When the coach pulls a defensive midfielder down to play as a second center back, the formation will become 4-3-3, pulls a striker back to turn into 3-5-2... depending on the development of the match. The weakness of this style of play is that it is very easy to be counter-attacked on both wings if the defensive players do not have support.

The biggest difference between the 3-defender formation and the 4-4-2 formation that Vietnamese clubs are applying is the wing-back position. On the right wing, Lam Ti Phong of S.Khanh Hoa is the most expected player because of his abundant physical strength and speed, and he often plays this position in the 3-5-2 formation in V-League 2017.

However, compared to Xuan Manh, this player's ability to support defense is not as good. Although he is a midfielder, Xuan Manh was "glued" by SLNA's coaching staff to the right-back position this season and he played 22/26 matches.

In addition to the position of winger, this player from Nghe An can play as a winger because of his ability to break through and pass the ball relatively well. This ability was demonstrated at the National U21 Finals in B.Binh Duong, making Xuan Manh a versatile player, necessary for the U23 team in the period of changing playing style.

Return from injury

Meanwhile, Trong Dai (Viettel) is a familiar face to experts. Dai was one of three U19 Vietnam players that coach Toshiya Miura called up for the training camp to prepare for the 2016 AFC U23 Championship, along with Tran Duy Khanh (B.Binh Duong) and goalkeeper Nguyen Thanh Tuan (now playing for Dong Thap).

The return of Trong Dai (29) gives U23 Vietnam more options. Photo: AT

At the 2016 AFC U19 Championship, Trong Dai and Bui Tien Dung played as a central midfielder and contributed greatly to helping Vietnam U19 make history by participating in the U20 World Cup for the first time. This young player is a box-to-box midfielder with good defensive skills, few touches, and smart passing.

In the match against U21 SLNA, Trong Dai shone in the midfield, making it difficult for Van Duc and Xuan Manh to launch attacks. Minh Vuong's sudden injury created an opportunity for Trong Dai to be called up as a replacement.

With a height of up to 1m80, when needed, Trong Dai can retreat to play as a central defender like Barca's Sergio Busquets, so this is the type of player Mr. Park really needs.

If Trong Dai being called back to U23 Vietnam after his injury is a reward for the young player who has been quietly practicing to recover, then Xuan Manh being highly appreciated by Mr. Park is a good sign for SLNA.

After Phi Son's departure, coach Duc Thang will likely trust the wing duo Van Duc - Xuan Manh next season.

AT