The right corridor ‘matrix’ of the Vietnamese team
Coach Kim Sang-sik has shaped a number of positions in the Vietnamese team after 4 AFF Cup 2024 group stage matches. However, there is no right-back among them.
Because in the past 4 matches, Mr. Kim Sang-sik continuously rotated the right wing personnel. In the match against Laos, Truong Tien Anh took on this role. In the match against Indonesia, Ho Tan Tai was given confidence. In the match against the Philippines, Vu Van Thanh was right. Then in the most recent match against Myanmar, the right corridor was again assigned to Tien Anh.
Tien Anh in the national team shirt
Coach Kim Sang-sik’s students all performed at a good level in these matches. Tien Anh played aggressively, worked hard on offense and defense and had relatively good crosses for the inside satellites. The strength of the defender born in 1999 is also his ability to take corner kicks, with passes with falling points. Tien Anh passed the ball as if to let Hoang Duc head into Myanmar’s wooden frame, or before that, a cross almost helped Xuan Son head in to open the score.
If Tien Anh is strong in attack, Tan Tai has good defense and has effective penetrations into the penalty area. As for Van Thanh, it is speed and technique, along with the ability to shoot from long range, such as the left shot that hit the crossbar in the Philippines’ goal is an example.
However, the problem with all three right-backs is that no one has stood out enough to bring satisfaction to coach Kim Sang-sik.
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In the 3-center-back formation (3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2), the role of the two wings is very important. Coach Park Hang-seo’s success in the past was closely linked to quality full-backs, good attackers and good defenders like Doan Van Hau and Nguyen Trong Hoang. Therefore, Mr. Kim paid great attention to the wing corridor with a series of experiments as soon as he took charge of the Vietnamese team.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is still worried about the right wing?
But until now, Van Vi in the left wing has brought a different touch, even though Nam Dinh’s defender was doubted after missed opportunities in the previous match. As for the right wing, after 6 months, Mr. Kim still leaves this position in “waiting” status.
Who to choose for the match against Singapore?
Against an opponent that is likely to play deep defense like Singapore, Mr. Kim Sang-sik will prioritize a good attacking right-back, capable of providing additional options for the attack thanks to his ability to cross the ball, cross, and cross. penetrate, or simply move smartly to stretch the opponent’s defense.
Looking at this aspect, Tien Anh and Van Thanh have an advantage over Tan Tai. Tien Anh has a good physical foundation, often ranking first in physical and endurance tests on the GPS system.
The 25-year-old defender also crosses the ball very well, suitable for a team with many quality strikers like Tien Linh and Xuan Son. In the V-League this season, Tien Anh has had 3 successful crosses, the most among any defender playing for the national team.
Meanwhile, Van Thanh boldly entered the penalty area thanks to his ability to accelerate, finish powerfully and reverse the position to stabilize his legs. In Korea, Van Thanh and Tien Anh divided each player into a total of 3 rounds (out of 6 rounds) in 3 friendly matches, with the effectiveness being evaluated as equivalent.
Therefore, who to choose for the right-back position depends on the strategy that coach Kim Sang-sik wants to aim for, instead of analyzing who is better than who. It is the “mystery” on the right wing that will help the Vietnamese team become more unpredictable.
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