On the afternoon of June 1, the Vietnamese team entered the next training session at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center, during the FIFA Days gathering in June. At this training session, some players such as goalkeeper Dinh Trieu, midfielder Duc Chien and striker Cong Phuong are still in the process of recovery and are expected to return to the training ground in the next few days.
However, the national team welcomed the presence of players from B.Binh Duong Club and Hanoi Police, two teams that have just finished the make-up match of round 23 of the V-League.
Along with teammates Nguyen Filip and Nguyen Quang Hai, defender Cao Pendant Quang Vinh showed confidence and professionalism in his first time on the Vietnam national team. Cao Pendant has a French father and a Vietnamese mother. He officially joined the Hanoi Police Club in August 2024 and was granted Vietnamese citizenship in March 2025.
In the Hanoi Police uniform, he played 33 matches in the V-League, National Cup and Southeast Asian Club Cup, scoring 2 goals. Before returning to Vietnam, Quang Vinh played for Sochaux, Quevilly-Rouen (France) and New York Red Bulls (USA), and also played for the French U16 and U18 teams.
The 28-year-old rookie shared: "I'm very happy to be here. I'm really excited to compete and practice with my teammates. I will try my best for the Vietnamese team."
The Vietnamese-American player recounted the special moment when he was first called up to the national team: "At that time, I was at the airport, Nguyen Filip told me that my name was on the list to be called up to the national team this time. I suddenly asked: Oh really? Can you show me? And I smiled brightly, because I was very happy."
Quang Vinh shared that not only himself but his family also burst into joy. "My mother was so proud, she cried. She told me: try your best, do everything for the country" - the full-back born in 1997 added.
With about 10 days to prepare for the match against Malaysia, Quang Vinh is confident in his ability to integrate: "I think I will be fine. I can adapt quickly. I will try my best for the team."
Evaluating the new environment, Quang Vinh said he felt very close: "As soon as he met me, Coach Kim asked me if I was tired because I had just played before. He said if I was tired, I should rest, because everyone had to be in the best condition when joining the national team. I found him to be a very good coach because he always cared about the players' feelings. The team atmosphere was very friendly. Everyone talked comfortably, laughed and welcomed me like a family member. It was very similar to my club."
Quang Vinh also could not hide his joy when he first wore the national team jersey: "I took a lot of photos to send to my family. I was also surprised because I did not know what number I would wear. Then I found out and was very happy."
Notably, Quang Vinh once faced off against Malaysia captain Dion Cools in the final of the 2024-2025 Southeast Asian Club Cup. Commenting on this player, Quang Vinh said: "He is a good player, solid defense, good technique. If we were on the field together, it would be a good confrontation between us, or between him and Van Vi."
With the squad gradually stabilizing, coach Kim Sang-sik has strengthened the tactical content, aiming for the match predicted to be difficult against Malaysia at the "fire pit" of Bukit Jalil. The Vietnamese team is determined to achieve positive results despite suffering some losses in personnel.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/cau-thu-viet-kieu-noi-gi-trong-ngay-dau-len-tuyen-viet-nam-196250601200025162.htm
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