Vietnam team: Mr. Kim waits to see a better version of Hoang Duc

Hoang Duc gets to know a new partner

In the opening match against Laos 4-1, Hoang Duc was scored 6.9 points by Sofascore, in the group of 5 players with less than 7 points while the remaining 11 players (including 5 substitutions) were all scored very well. 7 or higher.

Even his “possession lost” index of up to 22 and only 6 wins in 14 duels (43%) made many fans worried.

However, this was explained by coach Kim Sang-sik because the Vietnamese team, including Hoang Duc, had to make many long passes behind the opponent’s dense defense line, which was very difficult to stick with. .

However, it can be felt that the performance of the Viettel The Cong Club midfielder is still far from his best version. In the tournament, he was clearly identified as the most important conductor when his senior Hung Dung absent.

The reason could be because the pitch is not good, or the player from Hai Duong is calculating his drop points to gradually improve his performance in the next matches. At the same time, another very important reason is that the Vietnam Golden Ball in 2021 and 2023 is having to get used to new partner Doan Ngoc Tan.

The match against Laos is an official match between two midfielders with different styles, who in theory will complement each other by blending the smart, technical flexibility of the conductor with the aggressive and fierce spirit of the conductor. a “scanner”.

The fact that Ngoc Tan has his first major tournament in the Vietnamese team’s shirt, and his football playing qualities are still different from Hung Dung, will make Hoang Duc need more time to find chemistry, to supplement and support. support each other.

Fate against Indonesia, fulcrum for teammates

Looking more broadly, the reason why Hoang Duc has not “picked up” as expected also comes from the fact that the Vietnamese team is showing a new face with up to 6 young faces or newly given responsibilities by Mr. Kim, replacing a series of statues. familiar station.

But certainly, coach Kim Sang-sik really needs Hoang Duc to show his best performance in the coming matches, as the leading conductor of the Vietnamese team, when Quang Hai, Ngoc Quang, and Jackie Chan are currently playing. Plan B for round 2.

In particular, Mr. Kim will really need the charm of the 1997 midfielder in the next important match, to defeat his Indonesian opponent to take a big step forward in his first goal of passing the group stage.

In fact, Indonesia is a name that leaves many memories for Hoang Duc, such as his beautiful long-range shot in the 90+1 minute that helped the U.22 Vietnam team win at least U.22 Indonesia 2-1 in the final. group stage, before crushing this opponent 3-0 in the final match, bringing home the 2019 SEA Games men’s soccer gold medal – the first time in nearly 6 decades.

In the time that followed, Hoang Duc always played a prominent role in victories at all levels against Indonesia from SEA Games to World Cup qualifiers.

Looking forward to the match with the Indonesian team, which was just held to a 3-3 draw by Laos on the night of December 12, clearly revealing his lack of experience despite playing with a lot of fire, Hoang Duc will have to play an even clearer role in the task of keeping rhythm in the middle of the field and assists the spearheads above to exploit the scoring space.

The best version of Hoang Duc will be the basis for the new, youthful Vietnamese team to more skillfully demonstrate the way of playing that coach Kim Sang-sik is trying to establish, aiming for further goals such as reached the final and won the 2024 AFF Cup.