Vietnam team vs Indonesia: A big problem named Hoang Duc

1. The 4-1 victory over Laos in the opening match of the 2024 ASEAN Cup by coach Kim Sang Sik and his team could not satisfy fans and experts. The reason is that the victory was quite difficult, besides the very poor performance from some pillars of the Vietnamese team, especially Hoang Duc.

In a match where the opponent was not too strong, the 2023 Vietnam Golden Ball played below his ability when he often lost in one-on-one battles, with only 6/14 successful attempts.

Not stopping there, Hoang Duc's "lost control of the ball" index was the highest in the Vietnamese team with 22 times, notably with 2 passes to the opponent's feet, creating opportunities for the Lao team to attack and endanger Dinh Trieu's goal.

2. Before the Vietnam team met Laos, experts raised questions about Hoang Duc's form. This finally had an answer, at least from the match against Laos.

Hoang Duc is still very good in Ninh Binh Club's shirt, but clearly choosing this playground has made the midfielder considered the best in the Vietnamese team slow down in terms of expertise, because the level of competition in the first division is quite low.

Besides, the fact that the midfielder with the highest transfer value in Vietnamese football is not allowed to play in his best position also makes it difficult for Hoang Duc to demonstrate his ability.

Specifically, Mr. Kim Sang Sik arranged Hoang Duc to play the lowest position in midfield, in a more blocking role. This made it difficult for the player who grew up at Viettel, so it is understandable that he had an unconvincing performance.

3. On December 15, the Vietnamese team will have an important match with Indonesia, and everyone is really worried about Hoang Duc's performance, and needs coach Kim Sang Sik to "unlock" this midfielder.

It would be easy if the captain of the Vietnamese team returned Hoang Duc to the attacking midfielder position, allowed to move freely behind the strikers... like before or in the club's shirt.

But, if he does this, Mr. Kim Sang Sik needs to change and adjust the players in the midfield compared to the opening match or the preparation during the previous training trip in Korea.

So, we just hope that Hoang Duc, with his class, can soon adapt to his current role. At the same time, in the match against Indonesia, Mr. Kim Sang Sik will definitely put Quang Hai on the field from the start so that the work in the midfield of the Hai Duong player can be shared and play better.

Hopefully so, but if Hoang Duc is still as lackluster as in the match against Laos, perhaps Mr. Kim Sang Sik needs to have another calculation soon, if he wants to win the championship or play in the final of the ASEAN Cup 2024.