Vietnam team is gradually lacking U.22 players: Don't worry, Coach Kim!

Vietnam team lacks young players

The list of Vietnam national team preparing for the match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (June 10, Bukit Jalil Stadium) only has 2 players under the age of 22. They are goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and defender Khuat Van Khang, both born in 2003.

Van Khang played for many youth teams before being called up to the Vietnam national team by coach Park Hang-seo in September 2022. Goalkeeper Trung Kien also joined the national team at the end of last year. Both are familiar faces, but they also have something in common: it is difficult to secure a starting position in this training session.

List of Vietnam team

PHOTO: VFF

Young goalkeeper Trung Kien has to compete with experienced, high-class seniors like Nguyen Filip and Nguyen Dinh Trieu. As for Van Khang, it is an unequal race with Cao Pendant Quang Vinh and Nguyen Van Vi on the left wing. Van Khang is versatile, has speed and the ability to create breakthroughs thanks to his skillful "left wing", but does not have enough endurance and experience to compete.

The only U.22 player with the potential to compete for a starting position is Bui Vi Hao, but he cannot participate due to injury.

The Vietnamese team will use the experience of its key players (mostly born between 1995 and 1999) to face Malaysia. Recently, to find a solution for the attack, coach Kim Sang-sik called up Nguyen Cong Phuong. The striker of Binh Phuoc Club deserves to be called up to the national team with his high performance (scoring 9 goals this season), but he is 30 years old and is playing in the first division.

Mr. Kim has not been able to find any potential in any young strikers, so he has had to ask for help from veterans. The same goes for other positions. There is no place for young players, or if they are selected for the national team, they have to play a "supporting role".

Coach Kim Sang-sik is open to young players. When he first took over, he brought a series of U.22 players to the national team, with the assertion that "we need to give them a chance because they hold the future of Vietnamese football in their hands". Many young faces have had at least 1 to 2 training sessions to prove themselves, but most of them have not left an impression.

Young people "disappear" in the Vietnam national team

PHOTO: VFF

Under predecessors like Park Hang-seo or Philippe Troussier, there has always been an exchange between the Vietnam national team and the U.22 Vietnam team, when many young talents who have proven themselves in the youth team have been promoted to the national team.

Former coach Troussier once emphasized that the U.22 team can be considered the national team's reserve team, and midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai said that "U.22 players should not be considered young". At the age of 22, Quang Hai, Van Hau, Dinh Trong, Duy Manh... are already firmly established in both their clubs and the national team.

Meanwhile, the current U.22 generation is still struggling to assert themselves.

U.22 Vietnam must accumulate experience

Missing the chance to wear the national team jersey this time means that the U.22 players have to work harder to prove themselves. Acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh has finalized the list for this training session, which still includes familiar names such as Quoc Viet, Nhat Minh, Van Ha, Thai Son, Viktor Le...

In the international U.22 friendly tournament, where U.22 Vietnam drew with many strong opponents such as U.22 Korea, U.22 China and U.22 Uzbekistan, there were players called up by coach Dinh Hong Vinh, typically Viktor Le, a player who played 21 matches (13 as a starter) and scored 2 goals for Ha Tinh Club this season.

U.22 Vietnam is still... "young and green"

PHOTO: VFF

Young midfielder Nhat Minh is also a new discovery when he played 16 matches for Hai Phong in V-League 2024 - 2025. Thai Son has 22 matches in V-League for Thanh Hoa, marking the third consecutive season he has gained a place in the first team.

However, the above achievements are still modest enough to convince coach Kim, including players like Thai Son, Dinh Bac, Van Truong who were called up to the Vietnam national team but could not stay. The U.22 "young" squad has good physique and stretching ability, however, their ball handling is still clumsy and their thinking is not stable.

To be strong enough to compete with their seniors, young players must first prove their outstanding abilities in the U.22 team, while maintaining a regular presence in the V-League.

The weak connection between the Vietnam national team and the U.22 team is a difficult problem. The national team has not found a successor, while the U.22 Vietnam team has also missed the opportunity to practice and compete with their seniors to improve.

Coach Kim Sang-sik will have to fight with the old force, and the answer to the rejuvenation problem will only be found in the future.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-dan-vang-bong-nhan-to-u22-lo-day-thay-kim-185250523060946595.htm