Van Duc with AFF Cup records

Sports reporters in Southeast Asia are surprised by the way Park Hang-seo uses players. In the first three matches of the AFF Cup 2018, the young midfielder of SLNA was on the field in all three, including two starting matches, with a total playing time of 152 minutes. If in the match against Laos, Van Duc played left-back instead of Van Hau who had received a yellow card before, then in the match against Malaysia, player number 20 played left-back instead of captain Van Quyet. In the match against Myanmar, Van Duc was unexpectedly pushed to the right wing to play the right-back position instead of Trong Hoang.

Midfielder Van Duc set an “AFF Cup record” by playing in three consecutive matches in three different positions. Photo: Trung Kien

The versatility of number 20

It was quite surprising when international sports journalists confirmed that midfielder Van Duc had set an "AFF Cup record" when he played in 3 consecutive matches in 3 different positions, both right and left. In the world and Southeast Asia, having a versatile player who can play in many positions is not a new thing. However, using an attacking player to play defense, using a player who plays on the left wing to play as a right back, only MU often uses this type of player, and AshleyYOung is the most typical example.

Even Chan Vathanaka - "Cambodian football prodigy" at this AFF Cup, when playing as a center forward, was sometimes pushed by coach Keisuke Honda to play as a right winger. In the history of 11 AFF Cups, there were only players whose positions were relatively changed by the coach, like Chan Vathanaka.

The fact that Van Duc is constantly "favored" by Mr. Park to play in different positions like Van Duc is rare. It's not that Coach Park Hang-seo doesn't have any replacement players, but simply that Van Duc has many qualities that make the Vietnamese team's attack more diverse. In the match against Cambodia, when playing in his best position, this number 20 immediately showed his value with classy long-range shots, one of which became a goal.

Van Duc's forte is left midfielder, but with his perfect personal technique, ability to grasp and absorb the Korean coach's tactical ideas well, and guaranteed physical strength, this number 20 has been trusted. Many players who originally played defense are also unlikely to be able to play on both wings, let alone Van Duc who simply plays left wing. In fact, when playing as a defender, especially in the match against Myanmar, Van Duc himself made several positional mistakes, but with his good physical foundation, the SLNA midfielder immediately chased after and corrected his mistakes.

With 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 shot on target and 11 shots on goal after 4 matches, Van Duc is maturing every match. The most important thing is that he is creating trust in the eyes of fans, teammates and the national team's coaching staff. The fact that Duc scored a goal in his first AFF Cup appearance like his senior Van Quyen at the Tiger Cup 2004 is truly wonderful!

When captain Van Quyet shows signs of decline, Van Duc is a worthy choice! Photo: Trung Kien

Pride of Nghe An

Two years ago, when senior Phi Son left SLNA to go to Ho Chi Minh City to find a place for himself in the national team, many Nghe An fans were worried about the team.

Now, while Phi Son has not had the opportunity to return to the national team, Van Duc is increasingly asserting himself as a strategic card, a versatile player of the national team during the "Park-ball" era. That is truly a gift for the young player from Nghe An who always shows diligence in training, competing and affirming his professional ability. When captain Van Quyet shows signs of decline, Van Duc is a worthy choice!

Besides the above unofficial record, Nghe An fans hope that Van Duc and the national team will play well and bring the AFF Cup championship trophy to Vietnam. That is truly the happiness that we have waited for 10 years!