U23 Vietnam and the new 'formula for success'

So, U23 Vietnam under coach Gong Oh-kyun has passed the group stage to reach the quarter-finals of the 2022 AFC U23 Championship in the easiest way, leaving behind regional rivals U23 Thailand and U23 Malaysia. It is rare in an official continental tournament to see U23 Vietnam goalkeeper Van Chuan go all the way to the center circle to keep and pass the ball to his teammates in an overwhelming situation, leading the score, playing with one more player and... leisurely waiting for the referee to blow the whistle to end U23 Vietnam's victory over U23 Malaysia.

Match against U23 Malaysia. Photo archive

All doubts of experts and fans about an U23 team that played unconvincingly in the U23 Asian qualifiers, in the Dubai Cup friendly tournament, about the absence of senior players over 23 years old after the victory at SEA Games 31, about the change of head coach and change in playing philosophy... were gradually answered by Mr. Gong Oh-kyun beyond expectations after 3 successful group matches in Group C of the U23 Asian Finals.

In each match, Mr. Gong Oh-kyun shows a new, more confident, more united, more surprising look of U23 Vietnam on the way to the continent. Basically, Mr. Gong keeps the same, stabilizes the personnel in the defense from Mr. Park's time, the only difference is that it operates according to a 4-man formation, in which Thanh Binh - Viet Anh is the central defender pair, the 2 wings are Tuan Tai and Tien Long (from the previous left-sided central defender now moved to the right wing).

The midfield has the newest element, center back Duy Cuong, playing as a holding midfielder, along with 18-year-old players Van Truong and Van Khang, joining the old element Hoang Anh. Duy Cuong was used in the two most difficult matches against U23 Thailand and Korea, but in the third match against U23 Malaysia, the holding midfielder position was given to Van Cong, bringing Quang Nho, Cong Den and Thanh Nhan into play from the start. The attack is still a change between the main elements Manh Dung and Van Tung, when it is necessary to play 4-3-3 attack, Mr. Gong requires a midfielder to move up, when it is required to play multi-purpose, it is effective.

So, the biggest change of U23 Vietnam is in the midfield in the last 3 matches. Maybe someone thinks that the players who were arranged to play in the first 2 matches will be the main factors, in the main squad, but with Mr. Gong, the surprise in the way of playing, the way of attacking the opponent, it is difficult to say who is the main pillar, the main, and who is the reserve of whom?

The way Mr. Gong moved Tien Long from left to right back, promoted Duy Cuong from center back to midfielder in the front row, moved Thanh Nhan from defender to midfielder and then striker, to play as a creator, flexibly arranged Quang Nho in the defender, midfielder and even advanced as a striker... shows tactical calculations that are both bold and adventurous but always achieve the desired results. It is not always a fixed formation, a ready-made framework, so that opponents can easily study, neutralize and prevent. Reality so far shows that, under Mr. Gong's hand, U23 Vietnam will operate flexibly in different ways depending on the opponent, the situation, and the time, to reach the final goal.

Remember the first match against U23 Thailand, Mr. Gong proactively let his students play an offensive game and continuously make the opponent chase. What U23 Vietnam could not do in that match was the ability to coordinate to defend and protect the achievements they had won. That anxiety was resolved satisfactorily in the next match, against a much stronger opponent, U23 Korea. The new problem that appeared, although not urgent, was the ability to turn opportunities into specific results. When U23 Korea was forced to play with one less man, the opportunity to equalize and take the lead for U23 Vietnam was very close, but Mr. Gong's students let it slip away, very regrettable. In the match against U23 Malaysia, when the opponent was behind, received a red card and a penalty, the opportunity to widen the gap was clear, but they could not do it. Suppose the situation that happened in the match in the same group was disadvantageous, U23 Vietnam needed additional indexes, then clearly that had to be resolved quickly and neatly.

Obviously, each match and half is a specific situation and situation, and new requirements and new ways of behaving appear. U23 Vietnam with a new coach and new way of playing cannot immediately resolve all new situations. The problem is that the team is increasingly perfecting its way of organizing attacks, harmonizing with its defensive capabilities, responding flexibly and constantly causing unpleasant surprises to all opponents when implementing new moves. Mr. Gong's team is therefore worth watching, hopeful and is truly a reliable next step for the team under Mr. Park, which has already defined a "success formula" and is now on the way to renew and improve according to a new formula, a new version of success.