The "towers" of Cambodia
What should the Vietnamese team pay attention to in tonight's friendly match? Unlike before, the physical condition of the Cambodian players has improved significantly, and the area with the most physically fit players on the team of coach Koji Gyotoku (Japanese) is the defense.
Central defender Kan Mo (front row, third from right) of the Cambodian team has a very good physique.
Photo: NGOC LINH
Cambodia has a pair of central defenders with very good physique, including Kan Mo (1.84 m, South African origin) and Takaki Ose (1.83 m, Japanese origin). Right behind them, goalkeeper Vireak Dara (1.86 m) also has a physical advantage. With this defense, defending against high balls is no longer a concern for the Cambodian team.
That is the reason why at the AFF Cup 2024, the team from the land of pagodas can repel most of the high balls into Cambodia's penalty area, from the two teams famous for playing the best high balls in Southeast Asia, Malaysia (draw 2-2) and Singapore (lose narrowly 1-2).
In the match against Singapore, although Cambodia lost the match, the goals conceded by this team came from goalkeeper Vireak Dara's bad passing mistakes, not because of poor competition.
In addition to their ability to defend against high balls, the Cambodian team's central defenders are currently very strong in one-on-one duels. In particular, the African-origin central defender Kan Mo is almost not afraid of any player in Southeast Asia in collisions. Kan Mo himself regrets that he did not have the opportunity to confront the striker with the best physical strength, physique and duel ability of the Vietnamese team, Nguyen Xuan Son, in the match taking place tonight (March 19), at Binh Duong Stadium.
Therefore, Kan Mo and the player playing right next to him, Takaki Ose, will be a big challenge for the remaining strikers of the team under coach Kim Sang-sik.
Waiting for the calculation of coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnamese team
The Vietnamese team's forward line currently has 4 players, including Nguyen Tien Linh, Bui Vi Hao, Pham Tuan Hai and Dinh Thanh Binh. Among them, 2 players who are physically strong and can handle the pressure are Thanh Binh and Tuan Hai, and 2 strikers who are technically strong are Tien Linh and Vi Hao.
Home team Vietnam's strikers Tien Linh (22) and Vi Hao (15) are expected to shine.
Photo: KHA HOA
Coach Kim Sang-sik has not revealed his intention to use any of these strikers in the attack of the Vietnamese team, for the match against Cambodia at Binh Duong Stadium. However, it is possible that the Korean coach will rotate the above faces at different times of the match, using the appropriate personnel at the appropriate time.
Former VFF Vice President Duong Vu Lam commented: "In theory, if there is no Xuan Son, Tien Linh is the best striker of the Vietnamese team. But the Cambodian opponent will certainly also study Tien Linh. It is even possible that they will play aggressively to slow down Tien Linh and our technical players. Therefore, when to use Tien Linh, how to arrange the formation for the satellites around Tien Linh, when this player is blocked, coach Kim Sang-sik must have specific calculations."
This is a detail that can be referenced in some matches at the AFF Cup 2024. In one match, Mr. Kim Sang-sik used Dinh Thanh Binh from the start, taking advantage of this player's physical strength and aggressive playing style, in order to break down the opponent's defense. After that, Mr. Kim sent Tien Linh or Vi Hao onto the field, when the opponent was tired and lost concentration due to fatigue.
I believe that coach Kim Sang-sik is good enough and experienced enough to know what to do to read the intentions of the Cambodian team, counter their playing style, before helping the strikers of the Vietnamese team to show their best ability.
Good news for the audience, in addition to FPT Play, VTV2 will also broadcast live the friendly match between Vietnam and Cambodia at 7:30 pm today at Binh Duong Stadium.
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