Vietnam team is sharper thanks to new factors?

Mr. Kim will give opportunities to the team's talents.

At the 2024 AFF Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik introduced quality players. Ngoc Tan, Tien Anh, Van Vi, Ngoc Quang, Hai Long... were all fired up when they were trusted and placed in the right positions, and used appropriately at each stage of the match. Looking ahead to the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, with the focus on the match against Malaysia on June 10, Mr. Kim will continue to screen and add new players to maintain the competitiveness of the Vietnamese team.

Viktor Le's good form helps him (middle) make a good impression on coach Kim Sang-sik.

Photo: Minh Tu

First of all, we can mention Ly Cong Hoang Anh, who is exploding with 5 goals and 4 assists for Nam Dinh Club in V-League 2024 - 2025. In addition to his mobility in the role of a box-to-box midfielder, he has improved his scoring ability by running up and finishing from the second line. When Ngoc Tan was absent due to injury, Hoang Anh's high performance is receiving attention from coach Kim Sang-sik. Young midfielder Minh Khoa is also one of the few bright spots of Binh Duong Club this season. After his debut for the Vietnam team in March, he has maintained significant progress, especially in his ability to control the rhythm in the middle of the field and defend from a distance. In addition, a series of names such as Viktor Le, Van Truong, Lam Ti Phong, Phan Van Duc... have also been included in the watch list of the members of the Vietnam team's coaching staff. The good news is that the above names all have sharp attacking abilities, helping the Vietnam team have more options to approach the Malaysian goal.

After the 5-0 victory over Laos to open the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers at the end of March, coach Kim Sang-sik and his colleagues have regularly attended domestic tournaments to hunt for quality players for the Vietnamese team. Mr. Kim's Korean and Vietnamese assistants also regularly split up to look for new players, even in the first division and the National Cup. It is known that Mr. Kim and his colleagues regularly collect player information with clear categories: form, physical condition and playing attitude of players who have previously been called up to the national team, evaluate and find information about players who have not or rarely been called up to the Vietnamese team. Every week, the coaching staff will meet with VFF representatives to compare, screen and contrast names for each position on the field. Mr. Kim's principle is very clear: prioritize those who regularly play for the club, demonstrate desire and courage on the field.

Among the new players, two U.23 Vietnam players, Viktor Le and Van Truong, are likely to be promoted to the Vietnam national team by Mr. Kim after their good performance in the friendly tournament in China in March. In particular, Viktor Le, after returning to Hong Linh Ha Tinh Club, has clearly improved his performance with 2 goals, 1 assist and a dynamic playing style.

Lam Ti Phong, who is playing quite well for Nam Dinh FC, is also being eyed by the coaching staff for the right midfielder position. In addition, Phan Van Duc has also received good reviews since returning from injury. As mentioned, their chances of being called up will depend on the evaluation and comparison with the performance of players who have been and are currently playing for the Vietnam national team. In the upcoming FIFA Days training session, coach Kim Sang-sik will most likely set up a compact but sharp Vietnam national team for the away match at the "fire pan" of Bukit Jalil, Malaysia.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-sac-net-hon-nho-nhan-to-moi-185250513224514117.htm