Waiting for new faces in Vietnam team

During the international friendly training and competition on the occasion of FIFA Days (June 2023), the Vietnamese team will compete with the Hong Kong team (China) on June 15 at Lach Tray Stadium ( Hai Phong City) and face the Syrian team at the "fire pan" Thien Truong (Nam Dinh province) on June 20.

Dare to experiment

In the second gathering of the Vietnamese team in 2023, Coach Troussier continued to call up experienced key players who had made their name under his predecessor Park Hang-seo. In fact, the 68-year-old French coach has not had many opportunities to work with and learn about the second "golden generation" of Vietnamese football. Therefore, he was forced to rely on the core force that had reached the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia.

To make a list and decide to call up players for the Vietnam national team this time, Coach Troussier and his assistants have been diligently watching live matches in the V-League and the National First Division, selecting players based on criteria suitable for a ball-controlling and proactive attacking style of play.

Notably, among the 33 players called up, 3 are playing abroad: Nguyen Quang Hai (Pau Club, France), Nguyen Van Toan (Seoul E-Land Club, Korea) and Nguyen Cong Phuong (Yokohama Club, Japan). With his stable performance, Van Toan deserves to be selected for the national team this time. However, the presence of Quang Hai and Cong Phuong is surprising because they have not had many opportunities to play since going abroad.

Besides familiar faces, Coach Troussier also boldly experimented with new elements, giving opportunities to wear the national team jersey to players who have achieved high performance in recent domestic competitions, such as goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu, Tran Minh Toan, center back Bui Tien Dung, midfielder Truong Tien Anh, Le Pham Thanh Long, Lam Ti Phong, Bui Van Duc, Nguyen Trong Long...

Expectation of youth

Under the "molding" of coach Chu Dinh Nghiem, Nguyen Dinh Trieu, from a goalkeeper playing in the National First Division, has become the number 1 "goalkeeper" of Hai Phong Club. Although not having outstanding height, his reflexes and sharp judgment have helped Dinh Trieu take the starting position, contributing greatly to bringing the runner-up title of V-League 2022 to the port city team.

Meanwhile, Tran Minh Toan caught the eye of coach Troussier thanks to his ability to enter and exit properly and make excellent saves in 10 matches for B. Binh Duong Club this season. The former U19 Vietnam player was also voted into the typical squad of round 10 of V-League 2023 after helping B. Binh Duong hold Dong A Thanh Hoa to a draw on June 1. Compared to Dinh Trieu, Minh Toan has a better chance of winning an official place on the national team thanks to his height of 1.86 m and youthfulness (born in 1996).

Also called up to the national team for the first time, central defender Bui Tien Dung is no stranger to Vietnamese football fans. The younger brother of famous goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung has played for many years for the national U19 and U23 teams, winning the runner-up title at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup and the 2019 SEA Games gold medal. After leaving Hai Phong Club at the end of the 2022 season, Tien Dung quickly became a key central defender for the Hanoi Police Club in the 2023 V-League.

Similarly, midfielder Truong Tien Anh, who is currently playing for Viettel, was also selected by coach Park Hang-seo to join the national U23 team. Alongside Nguyen Hoang Duc, Tien Anh contributed to creating a midfield with comprehensive offensive and defensive capabilities, was an effective "detonator" on the wing and was often in the starting lineup.

It would be a mistake if the list of the Vietnamese national team this time lacked players from Dong A Thanh Hoa - the team leading the V-League 2023 rankings. Lam Ti Phong and Le Pham Thanh Long played brilliantly for the Thanh team and deserved to be given the opportunity to wear the national team jersey this time.

Jackie Chan grew up in the Hoang Anh Gia Lai training camp, so he has a good foundation of personal technique. Meanwhile, Lam Ti Phong impressed with his confident, innovative playing style and diverse finishing, starting from the same generation as Cong Phuong, Van Toan, Xuan Truong, Tuan Anh... in the national U19 and U23 teams.

In the Hong Linh Ha Tinh Club, Bui Van Duc can play versatilely in the positions of defender and winger thanks to his abundant physical strength and breakthrough dribbling ability. Meanwhile, Trong Long is the leading ball-recovery midfielder of the Hanoi Police Club with a "fiery" playing style, ruthlessly sweeping, not afraid of collisions and capable of dangerous long-range shots.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao/cho-doi-nhung-guong-mat-moi-o-tuyen-viet-nam-20230602212849362.htm