Xuan Son creates the background for Hoang Hen, Dinh Bac
Returning to Thailand after nearly 2 years, Xuan Son is present in the Vietnamese national team squad with a new mindset. Although continuing to play in the highest position in the forward line, this player does not play the role of "goal-scoring machine" like the tournament 2 years ago.
Instead, with what he showed against Timor Leste, Son played the role of a player who attracted the opponent's defense, opening up spaces for satellites like Dinh Bac, Hoang Hen or Quang Hai to shine.
Xuan Son still scored 1 goal according to the scenario that he had practiced throughout the past time in the Vietnamese national team, which was to take advantage of his superior physique to head the ball into Timor Leste's goal. But in most situations where Vietnam scored, Son performed a new task assigned by coach Kim Sang-sik.
Some international statistical websites only rated Xuan Son 7.4 - 7.5 points. This number is much lower than the two strikers Hoang Hen and Dinh Bac. But with Mr. Kim Sang-sik, he deserves to be one of the best in the squad in the opening match.
Xuan Son can be mentioned with a backheel before the Vietnamese team scored the 7th goal. Receiving the ball from Hoang Hen near the penalty area, instead of taking advantage of his strength to overcome the Timor Leste defender, the striker born in 1997 made a backheel for Dinh Bac to escape. A selfless Xuan Son will make it harder for opponents to read, and that is of course beneficial for the home team.
When Xuan Son accepts to reduce opportunities in the penalty area, Dinh Bac and Hoang Hen will benefit. This is also a mark in Mr. Kim Sang-sik's coaching style. Both are arranged with separate areas to shine.
Dinh Bac takes on the task on the left wing. With youth and good acceleration ability, the player from Nghe An will create spaces before receiving cross-line passes from Hoang Duc, Quang Hai.
In the opposite direction, Hoang Hen is on the right wing. Instead of choosing a style like Dinh Bac, this player relies on his strengths in technique, soft handling in narrow spaces to resolve second ball situations, after Xuan Son competes with the opposing defender.
The 5 goals created by Dinh Bac and Hoang Hen came from such scenarios.
Value of Van Vi
In the list of 7 goals, the mark comes from Van Vi, Quang Hai, Hoang Duc present in assists. If Quang Hai and Hoang Duc still maintain good form when controlling the midfield, then Van Vi has been elevated by coach Kim Sang-sik.
In theory, this player is arranged in the role of left-back. But the way coach Kim assigned him goes beyond the framework of the above task.
Many times Van Vi was present on the left wing corridor. That movement thinking has been seen by world football fans in Philip Lahm or Trent Alexander Arnold... But with Vietnamese football in general and the national team in particular, not every coach or defender can create lines like Mr. Kim and Van Vi created together.
Van Vi's flexibility in spatial thinking and movement made the exchange between him and Dinh Bac more flexible. Timor Leste defenders were almost powerless to find ways to intercept and block when these two faces kept alternating to move the left corridor areas. Then, in one attack and presence right near the penalty area, Van Vi made a well-timed cross for Xuan Son to score.
It should be added that in a picture with many bright spots, the Vietnamese team also experienced a few heart-stopping moments against Timor Leste. The lack of synchronous pressing in the final stage of the match came from 3 lines of invisibly creating conditions for the opponent to escape.
In fact, the Vietnamese team faced a situation where they could concede a goal. However, luckily in the goal frame of the Vietnamese team was Le Giang Patrik when he defeated a Timor Leste player in a one-on-one situation.
Calmness and good reflexes helped Le Giang keep a clean sheet. Going back in time to the Myanmar match, when the Vietnamese team's system was too leaning towards attack, the opponent also counter-attacked a few times. The wise ability to enter and exit helped Le Giang Patrik control the situation.
