Compared to the loss to Thailand a month ago, coach Kim Sang-sik changed 6 names in the main lineup of the Vietnamese team in the friendly match with India.
Looking more broadly, after 5 matches in charge of official and friendly tournaments, the Korean strategist has never repeated a starting lineup.
It's not that Mr. Kim Sang-sik wants to surprise his opponents. Simply put, the captain of the Vietnamese team is trying to find the players that best suit his strategy.
Therefore, experiments and rotations of the squad were introduced. Unfortunately, up to now, the results of a general framework of the Vietnamese team have not been formed.
Coach Kim Sang-sik is quite fond of using goalkeeper Nguyen Filip in the goalkeeping position. Along with that, Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Thanh Chung and Nguyen Thanh Binh are the 3 central defenders guarding above.
This tactic was repeated in the last 3 matches, including the practice match with Nam Dinh a few days ago. However, apart from Nguyen Filip playing at his best, the three central defenders mentioned above have not been stable.
The most typical example is Que Ngoc Hai. In the match, the captain of the Vietnam national team made some unexpected passes. However, he also made mistakes in defending high balls and following the opponent's striker, leading to the home team's loss.
The problem of central defenders not being wise in judging situations has been present in Ngoc Hai, Thanh Chung and Thanh Binh at the present time. Even though, they are considered Mr. Kim's best option.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's experiment with Le Pham Thanh Long at position 6 also did not yield results. According to insiders, Thanh Long scored 8-9 points in training, but when he stepped into real combat, his mentality was unstable.
Furthermore, putting Thanh Long in the position of defensive midfielder seems unreasonable. In fact, the best things in this role were originally left by Long at Thanh Hoa club. When playing for Cong An Ha Noi, the tasks and abilities of the midfielder born in 1996 have shifted in a different direction.
If we were to find the rare bright spots of the Vietnamese team in the match against India, it would probably be striker Nguyen Van Quyet, defender To Van Vu and striker Bui Vi Hao.
To Van Vu meets the requirements of both defense and attack on the right wing. Vi Hao brings Mr. Kim Sang-sik hope for a striker with speed, actively participating in situations and finishing more sharply every day. Meanwhile, Van Quyet shows a flexible, soft and elegant playing style.
However, Van Vu and Vi Hao have very little experience in the Vietnam national team. As for Van Quyet, after his 60th match wearing the national team jersey, he said goodbye...
There is only one month left until the ASEAN Cup, but coach Kim Sang-sik still has a lot of work to do. The Korean coach must quickly stabilize the playing squad before perfecting tactics and playing style.
