Vietnam U23's loose shield
The Vietnam U23 team is preparing to defend its Southeast Asian U23 title in July. This is a goal well within reach for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team, as Vietnamese youth football has successfully conquered this tournament in its two most recent appearances.
A common point between the two championships is that the Vietnam U23 team possessed the most solid defense in the tournament. In 2022, Coach Dinh The Nam's young team won the title in Cambodia without conceding a single goal throughout all four matches.
In 2023, Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's U.23 Vietnam team won the championship with only 2 goals conceded in 4 matches.
Vietnam U23 team prepares to assemble.
PHOTO: VFF
Coach Park Hang-seo's success (during the period 2018-2022) reinforced the mindset of prioritizing defense, building a solid back line to keep a clean sheet before thinking about scoring goals, a philosophy that many levels of the Vietnamese national team have inherited since then.
Taking over the Vietnamese national team and U.23 team, coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed that he will distill the best qualities of his predecessor to build his philosophy. In particular, the defense will be his top priority.
However, unlike the Vietnamese national team, where the defensive core left by coach Park, including Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Bui Tien Dung, and Bui Hoang Viet Anh, still retains its class and form, the U23 Vietnamese team lacks such a reliable defensive foundation.
Of the 11 defenders that Mr. Kim called up for the preliminary list, only Pham Ly Duc (HAGL), Ho Van Cuong (SLNA), Nguyen Nhat Minh (Hai Phong) and Nguyen Duc Anh ( Da Nang ) have played more than 15 matches in the V-League this season.
The remaining defenders, including Le Van Ha (Hanoi), Dang Tuan Phong, Nguyen Hong Phuc (The Cong Viettel ), and Dinh Quang Kiet (HAGL), are mostly substitutes who play in very few matches. Meanwhile, Nguyen Bao Long, Nguyen Hieu Minh (PVF-CAND), and Vo Anh Quan (Ninh Binh) play in the First Division.
Pham Ly Duc has been called up to the Vietnamese national team twice.
PHOTO: NGOC LINH
Their club experience is limited, and what about their national team experience? Only Ly Duc and Van Cuong have ever played for the Vietnamese national team. Of those, Van Cuong was called up as part of coach Philippe Troussier's 2023 youth development strategy, but he couldn't compete for a starting position.
Ly Duc was promoted to the national team by coach Kim in March; however, he only made his debut for the Vietnamese national team last June against Malaysia, when the team had... run out of defenders.
Limited playing time and a lack of experience in major tournaments at both club and national team levels will be obstacles preventing these "little soldiers" in the defense from meeting the demands of coach Kim Sang-sik.
Expectations for Ly Duc and Nhat Minh.
However, there are still some players who can "come from behind and rise to the top." Bui Vi Hao was a reserve player for the Vietnam U23 team for a whole year, then was given a call-up by coach Kim Sang-sik, before starting in 4 consecutive matches at the 2024 AFF Cup.
That's Ly Duc, the center-back who needed less than 15 matches in his first V-League season to convince coach Kim Sang-sik. Although Ly Duc still makes some defensive errors, lacks composure, and needs to improve his positional awareness, the HAGL center-back compensates with his passion, one-on-one skills, tenacity, and knack for scoring goals.
Nhat Minh of Hai Phong Club is also a potential option, as he possesses a forward-thinking mindset, is passionate in tackling and pressing.
What Ly Duc and Nhat Minh have in common is that they both gained experience in the V-League at a very young age, having to "compete" with seasoned foreign and domestic players. Their experience in the V-League will forge them into strong, resilient central defenders, just like Thanh Chung or Tien Dung have done.
These future "cornerstones" will progress under the guidance of Teacher Kim.
Former coach Troussier once said that the philosophy for selecting players for the national team should be "look at the legs first, then the face," meaning that players should be judged on their skill and performance on the field, not on their reputation.
Coach Kim Sang-sik also follows a similar approach. He boldly rejuvenated the Jeonbuk team, and when he took over the Vietnamese national team, Coach Kim Sang-sik made equally bold decisions, such as trusting Vi Hao, Dinh Trieu, and Ngoc Tan instead of relying on a host of veteran players.
Therefore, the competition for a starting spot in the defense promises to be fair, as all players, whether starters or substitutes at their club, playing in the first or second division, will have an equal opportunity.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ai-du-ban-linh-ganh-hang-thu-u23-viet-nam-185250625155859322.htm
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