The 'matrix' of the right wing of the Vietnam team

Coach Kim Sang-sik has determined a number of positions in the Vietnam national team after four matches in the group stage of the 2024 AFF Cup. However, right-back is not among them.

Because in the past 4 matches, Mr. Kim Sang-sik has continuously rotated the personnel on the right wing. 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 the main player. Then in the most recent match against Myanmar, the right wing was assigned to Tien Anh again.

Coach Kim Sang-sik's players all performed well in these matches. Tien Anh played enthusiastically, worked hard to attack and defend, and had relatively good crosses for the satellites inside. The 1999-born defender's strength is also his ability to take corner kicks, with passes that have a landing point. Tien Anh passed the ball like a set piece for Hoang Duc to head it into the Myanmar goal, or before that, the cross almost helped Xuan Son head the ball to open the score.

If Tien Anh is strong in attack, Tan Tai is good at defense, and has effective penetration into the penalty area. As for Van Thanh, it is speed and technique, along with the ability to shoot from afar, with his powerful left-footed shot hitting the crossbar of the Philippine goal being an example.

However, the problem of all 3 right-backs is that no one has stood out enough to bring satisfaction to coach Kim Sang-sik.

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 previous success was closely linked to quality full-backs, good at attacking and good at defending, such as Doan Van Hau and Nguyen Trong Hoang. Therefore, Mr. Kim paid great attention to the wing with a series of experiments as soon as he took charge of the Vietnamese team.

But until now, only Van Vi on the left wing has brought a different touch, although the Nam Dinh defender was doubted after the missed opportunities in the previous match. As for the right wing, after 6 months, Mr. Kim still left this position in a "waiting" state.

Who to pick for the match against Singapore?

Against an opponent that is likely to play a deep defensive game like Singapore, Kim Sang-sik will prioritize a right-back who is good at attacking, capable of providing more options for the attack thanks to his ability to cross, pass, penetrate, or simply move intelligently to stretch the opponent's defense.

In this aspect, Tien Anh and Van Thanh have an advantage over Tan Tai. Tien Anh has a good physical foundation, as he is often in the top group 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 defenders wearing the national team shirt.

Meanwhile, Van Thanh boldly penetrated the penalty area thanks to his ability to accelerate, shoot powerfully and switch positions to keep both feet stable. In Korea, Van Thanh and Tien Anh played a total of 3 rounds (out of 6 rounds) in 3 friendly matches, with similar results.

Therefore, choosing who to play as right-back depends on the strategy that coach Kim Sang-sik wants to aim for, instead of analyzing who is better than who. The "mystery" on the right wing will make the Vietnamese team more unpredictable.