Van Cuong, Xuan Tien and the difficult match against U22 Malaysia

Nghe An fans follow every step of theU22 VietnamAt the 32nd SEA Games, we will "not take our eyes off" all developments surrounding the players from Song Lam Nghe An such as Xuan Tien, Van Cuong, Van Binh or from Hong Linh Ha Tinh such as Ngoc Thang, hoping that they will have positive performances to contribute to the process of defending the gold medal - the precious throne they have won.

In the match between U22 Malaysia and U22 Vietnam in the third round of Group B of the 32nd SEA Games men's football, taking place at 7:00 p.m. this afternoon, the strategists will certainly have to deploy the strongest force in their hands to promote their strengths, limit/suppress their opponents, and achieve the most favorable results possible. After the initial exploratory and experimental matches, of course, Mr. Troussier will let which key players start from the start, which key players will be deployed when necessary, meaning that the mind-boggling battle on the coaching bench will decide the game and the final outcome.

Midfielder Thai Son's joy after scoring against U22 Singapore. Photo: Hai Hoang

We predict that the starting lineup of U22 Vietnam today will include Van Chuan, Duy Cuong, Tuan Tai, Quang Thinh, Van Cuong, Minh Trong, Van Khang, Thai Son, Van Do, Thanh Nhan, Van Tung. Important factors such as Van Truong, Xuan Tien, Cong Den... may be able to enter the field one by one depending on the necessary developments that the French coach can "read" and resolve the situation.

From the above prediction, it can be seen that among the players with "origins" from Song Lam Nghe An and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, the possibility of only Van Cuong being the main player is quite clear. In the first two matches against U22 Laos and U22 Singapore, Van Cuong played the entire first half of the first match, entered the field from the 26th minute of the second match and left many important marks in the way of operating tactics, especially attacking the right wing. Van Tung's first goal in the match against U22 Laos had Van Cuong's mark when he passed the ball conveniently from the wing for Thanh Nhan to cross accurately and Van Tung to head the ball very difficultly, scoring an early goal for the home team. In the second match, Van Cuong passed the ball conveniently to Van Truong, Van Khang, and Quoc Viet in turn, but unfortunately his teammates could not finish it successfully.

In the match against U22 Malaysia, Mr. Troussier certainly knows the danger of the opponent's flank attacks, so sending Minh Trong-Van Cuong to play as two full-backs, alongside the familiar trio of central defenders is the most reliable choice that the current squad has. Of course, Van Cuong will be encouraged to move up to attack as he has shown recently, although it is very difficult because the opponent is well-versed in flank attacks, so Van Cuong is easily forced deep into the home field. The problem for this full-back born in 2003 is to stick closely to block the opponent, at the same time quickly escape to receive, dribble quickly and pass accurately inside for teammates to finish successfully.

In the first two matches, Xuan Tien only played for about 15 minutes against Laos and did not leave any significant impression? There are two streams of thought here: the positive is that Xuan Tien is being kept for the decisive match against U22 Malaysia and U22 Thailand, the negative is that this player has not created trust so it is inevitable that he will have difficulty playing like in the recent U20 Asian Cup and now at the SEA Games. The author believes that sooner or later Xuan Tien will be put on the field because there is a reason why the French coach chose the squad of 20 names, including Xuan Tien even though he was called up last.

What tactics will coach Philippe Troussier and his team use for the match against U22 Malaysia at 7:00 p.m. on May 8, 2023? Photo: Hai Hoang

The remaining two names, Van Binh and Ngoc Thang, are in a difficult position, because Van Binh is the reserve goalkeeper, and Ngoc Thang has not played a single minute in the last 2 matches. In the U22 Vietnam goal, Van Chuan is playing extremely well, so hopefully Huy Hoang or Van Binh will continue to "learn a lesson" from the bench, reserve. Ngoc Thang still has to wait patiently because the tournament is still long and entering a harsh stage, anything can happen. A pillar with "roots" from Nghe An, Tuan Tai (Viettel) in this tournament mainly plays left-sided center-back, so he has not shown his outstanding qualities as usual.

Being on the list of candidates for the SEA Games is already a great honor. Being a starter in a decisive match requires even greater responsibility, requiring more spirit and determination. Hopefully, the Nghe An players will promote the spirit of overcoming difficulties, the more difficulties the more good results they achieve, to contribute to the common victory of U22 Vietnam in this tournament./.