UAE - Vietnam tonight: What to expect from Cong Phuong?
(Baonghean.vn) - It is almost certain that the Nghe An player will not be able to play from the start in the UAE - Vietnam match in Group G of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Asia.
Objectively speaking, in the recent match against Malaysia, Cong Phuong had a rather disappointing performance. "As a last resort", at the beginning of the second half, coach Park Hang-seo had to take the 26-year-old player off to make way for Pham Duc Huy. During the 57 minutes on the field, he only left an impression on the audience 3 times.
 |
Will Cong Phuong score for Vietnam? Photo: Nguyen Khanh/Tuoi Tre |
In addition to the left-footed shot that went wide of the opponent’s goal, the player wearing the number 10 shirt also had 2 situations where he controlled the ball and broke through the siege of Malaysian defenders, but both did not bring the expected results. In fact, Cong Phuong even slowed down the home team’s counter-attacks because of his habit of dribbling.
Most likely, with what he showed in the match on June 11, Cong Phuong will not be named by coach Park Hang-seo in the starting lineup for the match against UAE. Most likely, the player who will play in place of the striker nicknamed "Vietnamese Messi" is Nguyen Van Toan, the player who brought home the penalty that helped Que Ngoc Hai score against Malaysia, setting the score 2-1 for the home team.
Although he doesn't have many opportunities to play, Cong Phuong is still a "card up Park's sleeve". If he falls into a situation where he has to find a goal, the player currently on the HAGL payroll will be the option that coach Park Hang-seo is aiming for. Simply put, Cong Phuong's playing style will have more "room to perform" against a defense like the UAE's, which has players who are not good at handling tight spaces.
Furthermore, Cong Phuong is also a striker who moves actively, often dropping deep to receive the ball and constantly switching positions with Phan Van Duc to create surprises for the opponent's defense. With the player born in 1995 on the field, especially in the middle of the second half (the opponent's defenders are exhausted), Vietnam's playing style will become more unpredictable. Hopefully, Cong Phuong will meet expectations./.
