Hold your breath again because Manh is “harsh”
The foul situation with Bounphachan Bounkong caused the Vietnamese team to receive a penalty and concede a goal in the last minute against Laos (match on the evening of December 9). Duy Manh was the third time in the team’s shirt that the home team was awarded a penalty. 11 m.
Duy Manh needs better control of his tackles
In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the midfielder born in 1996 caused the Vietnamese team to be awarded a penalty against Saudi Arabia and Oman (in this match, Duy Manh’s arm swinging straight into the face of the opposing striker was criticized). .
However, the foul against Bounkong in the 89th minute in the match against Laos at AFF Cup 2024 did not come from Duy Manh’s mistake. He simply competes five to five with his opponent, whoever is faster wins.
In a situation where the ball was hovering on the edge of the Vietnam team’s penalty area, the 28-year-old midfielder ran out and kicked the bottom of his shoe straight into the opponent’s ankle. Duy Manh’s intention was to swing his leg to cut the ball. However, because the Lao player’s pass sent the ball spiraling out, Duy Manh misjudged the drop point. The Vietnamese captain’s powerful kick kicked straight into his opponent’s leg, very close to the ankle. Duy Manh was lucky to avoid a penalty card when VAR judged that it was purely a tackle, but it was a warning to the player playing for Hanoi Club.
In the match, the Vietnamese team led 4-0 and Laos could not create pressure, Duy Manh still had a risky collision. If the opponent was more “weird” and proactively placed his front foot to touch the ball, the captain of the Vietnamese team could have received a red card. The Laos team does not have such players, but Indonesia or Myanmar are different.
The downside of “harsh” fighting style
Duy Manh’s professional level has been recognized after 8 years playing for the Vietnamese team. He has good tackling ability, strong marking, persistent sweeping and stalking opponents. The peak of the Vietnamese team under coach Park Hang-seo was associated with the duo Duy Manh and Dinh Trong, in which Duy Manh fought, while Dinh Trong sat deep to read the situation and cover. Every team needs a brave and determined player like Duy Manh.
However, the downside of this style of play is the risk from foul situations. Meeting more cunning and wiser opponents, every mistake in a dispute, even the smallest, is at risk of being fully exploited. When VAR has “visited” the AFF Cup, don’t expect to be able to bypass the referee in any phase.
Center backs must be very careful with each ball and consider carefully when deciding to swing their legs to tackle the ball. Judging situations well to dominate and being able to make less risky moves will be a top priority for the midfielders of the team. Vietnam team. Tackling the ball is only the last solution, when the defensive players have run out of options. With the captain’s armband in hand, Duy Manh must be clearly aware of that. The 28-year-old midfielder not only represents the national flag, but also has to shout and motivate the players. The defense cannot be strong if the captain does not have a “cool” head.
In the match against Indonesia on December 15, Duy Manh will face Rafael Struick, Marselino Ferdinan or Asnawi Mangkualam, all of whom are agile and skillful attackers. Duy Manh needs to be calm and steady, like the way he played the entire 2023 – 2024 season without receiving any yellow cards.
