AFF Cup: Is the Vietnamese team forgetting this important weapon?

The Vietnamese team’s header was not effective

With 16 goals after 6 matches (an average of 2.67 goals/match), the Vietnamese team is the second most effective scoring team in the AFF Cup 2024, second only to Thailand. However, only 2 of these goals were scored from cross-ball situations.

That was Doan Ngoc Tan’s header against the Philippines in the 90+7 minute in the group stage, along with Nguyen Xuan Son’s close-range cushion after a corner kick, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Vietnamese team against Singapore. in the first leg of the semi-finals.

Only 2 goals (of which only 1 was a header) showed that the high shots were not well exploited by the Vietnamese team.

To effectively cross the wing and head, the Vietnamese team needs three factors at the same time: a strategy that prioritizes opening the way for crosses, quality crossers, and players who are good in the air. The first element was there, when coach Kim Sang-sik’s students made many long passes, crosses and opened the boundary. The second factor is relatively enough, when wingers like Van Khang, Van Vi, and Tien Anh all have good crossing quality. However, with the last element, the home team at Viet Tri Stadium is lacking.

Xuan Son (5 goals) and Tien Linh (4 goals) are currently the most effective attacking duo at AFF Cup 2024. These are also the two best headers, but this duo rarely appears together on the field. When Xuan Son was not qualified to play in the first 3 matches, Tien Linh played center forward. While Xuan Son was on the field, Tien Linh was on the bench.

Coach Kim Sang-sik tends to arrange a 3-4-2-1 formation, with a single striker. Personnel is always given priority to the midfield. However, the physical shape of the midfielders is a problem. Except for Nguyen Hoang Duc (1.83 m), the remaining midfielders are all 1.7 m tall or less.

With an average height of 1.69 m, it is not difficult to understand why the Vietnamese team’s high-ball play is not impressive. Central defenders like Thanh Chung and Tien Dung used to be lucky in the club and national team, but are no longer as effective in the air as before. If Xuan Son is locked down, coach Kim Sang-sik will have almost no one left to fight in the air.

At the same time, the Vietnamese team’s midfielders also tend to wait for the ball in the second line to handle, instead of rushing into the dispute to play. If they do not improve their ability to compete in duels, it will be difficult for the Vietnamese team to compete with the strong and strong players of Thailand.

With good headers like Patrick Gustavsson, Jonathan Khemdee or Suphanat Muenta, Thailand will have an advantage in a tense match, when high balls (along with long-range shots) are always powerful weapons to resolve deadlocks. .

Unlock the final

At the AFF Cup 2024, while the defensive organization, especially the high ball defense of the Vietnamese team, has improved somewhat (Thailand midfielder Peenadon said that Vietnam defended better than the AFF Cup 2022). , the attack stage still has many “scratches”.

Coach Kim Sang-sik’s students only really prospered when striker Nguyen Xuan Son entered the game. With an all-round striker and good glider, the attackers have more ideas.

However, the Vietnamese team is depending on Xuan Son’s inspiration, as the 27-year-old striker participates in every step: deploying the ball, creating, pressing and scoring.

In the final, Xuan Son will be closely followed by experienced Thai midfielders such as Pansa Hemviboon and Jonathan Khemdee. When the opponent has researched carefully, it is not easy for Xuan Son to “run wild”.

The Vietnamese team needs backup weapons, in which high-ball is the solution Mr. Kim Sang-sik and his students should choose. With the impressive frequency of crossing and hitting the ball in previous matches, it would be a waste if Tien Linh and his teammates did not head the ball more effectively.

A hit from the sideline and then a sudden header, like what Tien Linh did to open the score against Thailand in the 2022 AFF Cup final, could be the path the Vietnamese team will take in tonight’s epic performance. .