Football

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's defenders are well-prepared for the ASEAN Cup 2024, with the team featuring a squad where most players are 27 years old or older. According to statistics from the tournament's organising committee, Việt Nam have the third highest average age in the competition at 26.4 years.

This statistic reflects the experience within the team, particularly among the goalkeepers and defenders. Except for Trần Trung Kiên, who has been called up for training, the goalkeepers – Nguyễn Đình Triệu, Nguyễn Filip, and Đặng Văn Lâm – are all over 30 years old.

Coach Kim Sang-sik prioritises selecting players with extensive experience in the V.League 1 or the national team, including Đỗ Duy Mạnh (28), Bùi Tiến Dũng (29), Vũ Văn Thanh (28) and Phạm Xuân Mạnh (28). These players have each participated in 40-50 matches for the national team.

Younger players like Hồ Tấn Tài,  Nguyễn Thanh Bình, Nguyễn Thành Chung and Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh have less experience than their senior counterparts but have all surpassed the U23 threshold. Notably, Thành Chung and Tấn Tài (27) are approaching their career peaks.

Another testament to the maturity in the squad is Nguyễn Văn Vĩ, a 26-year-old left-back who has played 80 matches in V.League 1 over six seasons at Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh, Hà Nội, and Nam Định.

Unlike coach Philippe Troussier, coach Kim places less emphasis on younger players. With a perfectionist approach, he aims to create a 'combat-ready' national team, particularly in defence. 

Need for certainty

In recent training matches in South Korea, coach Kim built a defensive lineup centered around these experienced players and Văn Khang, a 21-year-old left midfielder, was tested in a defensive role during one match.

Goalkeeping duties were shared among Văn Lâm, Đình Triệu, and Filip Nguyễn. Central defenders Việt Anh, Duy Mạnh and Thành Chung were prioritised in the main squad, supported by veterans Bùi Tiến Dũng, Hồ Tấn Tài, and Nguyễn Thanh Bình.

On the wings, Văn Thanh started on the right, with Xuân Mạnh and Tiến Anh tested on the opposite side. The effectiveness of this experienced line up was evident in their performance.

In three training matches, Việt Nam conceded only one goal, significantly lower than the 11 goals conceded in their previous five official matches against teams like the Philippines, Russia, India, Thailand and Iraq.

While the opposition, including Daegu FC, Ulsan Citizen, and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, may not be as strong as those earlier teams, the effectiveness and effort from coach Kim's chosen defensive choices is commendable.

Reflecting on the past, the success of the Vietnamese team under coach Park Hang-seo was built on a solid defence. In the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2018, the 'Golden Star Warriors' showcased an impenetrable 'wall', making it difficult for opponents like Malaysia to find an equaliser in the finals.  VNS