The mainstay of U23 Vietnam's defense

U23 Vietnam - Photo 1.

Ly Duc - key central defender of the Vietnam U23 team - Photo: VFF

Currently, Coach Kim Sang Sik has 6 quality central defenders: Pham Ly Duc (1m82), Le Van Ha (1m84), Hieu Minh (1m84), Nhat Minh (1m75), Duc Anh (1m75) and Dang Tuan Phong (1m78).

Many quality choices

At the CFA China Team 2025 International Friendly Tournament in China in March, Le Van Ha - Hieu Minh - Nhat Minh were the three central defenders who played the most in the 3 matches of U23 Vietnam. The central defender who could "squeeze in" was Duc Anh when he started the match against U23 Uzbekistan (replacing Nhat Minh) and replaced Le Van Ha in the match against U23 Korea.

With the above-mentioned defensive framework, the U23 Vietnam team excellently drew with the U23 Korea team 1-1, U23 Uzbekistan team 0-0 and U23 China team 1-1 to finish 3rd overall. At that time, the U23 Vietnam team did not have two central defenders Pham Ly Duc and Dang Tuan Phong. This was because both of them had just joined the U23 Vietnam team in this training session.

Ly Duc was actually planned by coach Kim Sang Sik to be the leader of the U23 Vietnam defense. He was called up to the Vietnam national team during the two FIFA Days in March and June, and even played the entire second half against host Malaysia in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup in June.

Tuan Phong is considered one of the best defensive players of his generation at The Cong - Viettel Club. He played 9 matches (5 starting) in V-League 2024 - 2025, much more than Le Van Ha who played 4 matches (3 starting) for Hanoi Club.

Find the right frame

The presence of Ly Duc, Tuan Phong and "pole" Dinh Quang Kiet (1m95) forced coach Kim Sang Sik to test and experiment more with the central defenders he has in hand during three weeks of training in Ba Ria - Vung Tau .

With a player who is only 18 years old and has not had much experience like Quang Kiet, Mr. Kim eliminated him right from the first round. But with the remaining 6 central defenders, choosing which trio to start also made him hesitate a lot because each person has their own strengths. Especially the harmony of the central defender trio Le Van Ha - Hieu Minh - Nhat Minh who played together in the 2025 CFA China Team International Friendly Tournament.

Ly Duc will be the number one choice for the Vietnam U23 team. Not only does he have good height and extensive experience, he also scores goals when joining the attack from free kicks. Three goals for Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club in V-League 2024 - 2025 is an example. But choosing the two remaining central defenders to pair with Ly Duc still depends on each opponent.

In the first 12 matches of the 2024-2025 V-League season, Duc Anh did not have the opportunity to play for Hanoi FC. However, moving to SHB Da Nang FC on loan afterwards helped Duc Anh improve his performance a lot after 14 consecutive starting matches, especially when having to compete and mark foreign strikers. Meanwhile, Nhat Minh (Hai Phong) or Hieu Minh (PVF-CAND) also maintained stable performance with 18 appearances in the V-League or First Division last season. Even rookie Tuan Phong impressed with his ability to coordinate the ball from the back line to the attack.

Mr. Kim must take advantage of the training sessions in Indonesia to evaluate and make the best choice for the U23 Vietnam defense before entering the tournament. Even the two matches with the opponents in the same group, U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia, will help Mr. Kim perfect the defense better for the knockout round.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is confident

Speaking at a press conference before the tournament for the teams in Group B on the afternoon of July 15, coach Kim Sang Sik said: "U23 Thailand is a very strong team with players with good individual skills. The host U23 Indonesia possesses impressive speed and physical strength. These are two formidable teams, capable of competing for the championship.

But we also set the highest goals in this tournament. The performance of the young players depends on their spirit and careful preparation. For me, every opponent is worthy of respect, so we need to prepare carefully."

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/diem-tua-hang-thu-cua-u23-viet-nam-20250716105028859.htm