Structure of the U23 Vietnam team

Attending the youth tournament in Indonesia, in addition to the goal of accumulating international competition experience for the "rookies", Coach Kim Sang-sik also aims to defend the tournament's title. During this tour, U23 Vietnam is missing many experienced pillars who have played for the national team.

Coach Kim Sang-sik faced a difficult task when making a list of players to participate in the Southeast Asian tournament. Only after listening to the advice of his assistants as well as the results of the internal match of the U23 Vietnam team on July 11, did the Korean strategist make the final decision.

Mr. Kim Sang-sik decided to part ways with 5 players: goalkeeper Pham Dinh Hai, defender Nguyen Hong Phuc, Ho Van Cuong, midfielder Nguyen Duc Viet and Vietnamese-American striker Alex Bui. Of these, Van Cuong and Duc Viet are 2 experienced players, having played for the national youth teams as well as participated in the V-League; Alex Bui did not have enough time to show his full potential.

Cấu trúc bộ khung tuyển U23 Việt Nam - Ảnh 1. — Vietnam U23 team forms the framework on the journey to defend the "throne" of Southeast Asia. Photo: VFF

The U23 Vietnam team that will come to Indonesia to defend the No. 1 position in Southeast Asia are players who are in good form and have performed outstandingly in the second leg of the domestic tournament. Among them, players playing in the V-League are potential candidates to be in the starting lineup of the U23 Vietnam team this time.

Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien stands out from his colleagues thanks to his ideal physique (1.91 m tall) and played 24 matches for Hoang Anh Gia Lai in the V-League last season. Pham Ly Duc (HAGL) and Nguyen Nhat Minh (Hai Phong) - who have a lot of experience in the V-League - are candidates for the U23 Vietnam defense line.

U23 Vietnam will arrive in Indonesia on the morning of July 14 and have 5 days of training before entering the first match of the group stage against U23 Laos on July 19.

However, the midfield and forward line of the U23 Vietnam team includes many excellent young players, creating fierce competition in the starting lineup. Coach Kim Sang-sik wants to build a ball-controlling, proactive attacking style of play, so he prefers versatile and physically strong players.

Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Van Truong, Viktor Le and Nguyen Thai Son are considered by experts to be the top candidates for the U23 Vietnam midfield thanks to their experience and comprehensive offensive and defensive abilities. Viktor Le is a copy of Luong Xuan Truong with the ability to control the ball, good tactical vision and can shoot from a distance with high accuracy and danger. Van Truong has a good physique, is strong when competing for the ball and can play well in many positions.

Meanwhile, Van Khang has a technical playing style with a modern attacking philosophy. In the 2024-2025 V-League, this 22-year-old player impressed with 5 goals after 25 matches for Viettel Club, expected to replace the "conductor" role left by Nguyen Hoang Duc. Van Khang's forte is the ability to create breakthroughs on the wing, confidently accelerate and shoot diversely.

Compared to his teammates, Nguyen Thai Son is a player with a long history wearing the Vietnam national team jersey. Under coach Troussier, the young talent from Thanh Hoa became the top choice for the defensive midfielder position of the Vietnam national team. Having won the title of "Best Young Player" of the V-League, Thai Son's performance declined in the early stages of the 2024-2025 season due to injury. However, his experience and bravery are still indispensable in the U23 Vietnam squad participating in the Southeast Asian tournament.

The U23 Vietnam attack line with 4 strikers named Nguyen (Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, Quoc Viet, Ngoc My) will be rotated appropriately by coach Kim Sang-sik depending on each opponent, corresponding to the 3-4-3 formation he built.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cau-truc-bo-khung-tuyen-u23-viet-nam-196250713205516346.htm