Goalkeeper Trung Kien actively prepares for the match against Cambodia - Photo: ANH KHOA
Giving 22-year-old goalkeeper Trung Kien a chance to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games later this year in Thailand or using two more experienced goalkeepers (Nguyen Van Viet, Trinh Xuan Hoang) is something the Korean coach must consider for each match.
Race of the young
In fact, coach Kim Sang Sik did not want to use the young goalkeeper for the friendly match with Cambodia (March 19) and the opening match against Laos (March 25) in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. However, goalkeeper Nguyen Filip withdrew due to family matters and the best goalkeeper of the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Dinh Trieu, suffered a back injury, forcing Mr. Kim to consider using the young goalkeeper.
Although called up late, Xuan Hoang (25 years old) is considered the most experienced of the three young goalkeepers. He played for the U23 team that won the 2022 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and has joined the Vietnam national team many times under coaches Park Hang Seo and Kim Sang Sik.
Xuan Hoang still has many more seasons to play in the highest level of Vietnamese football. For example, in V-League 2024 - 2025, Xuan Hoang started 14/16 matches for Thanh Hoa Club and conceded only 13 goals.
Equally experienced is Nguyen Van Viet. He was called up by coach Philippe Troussier to the Vietnam national team for the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup along with his seniors Nguyen Filip, Dang Van Lam and Dinh Trieu.
Van Viet is also regularly called up to the Vietnam U23 team. In the V-League, Van Viet is in his third season as the main goalkeeper at Song Lam Nghe An Club (SLNA), and has even been trusted with the captain's armband. Despite conceding 23 goals in 16 matches as the main goalkeeper, Van Viet is still highly regarded because the Nghe An team is weak and struggling to avoid relegation.
Meanwhile, Trung Kien has only been the main goalkeeper for Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club in V-League 2024 - 2025. However, this 22-year-old goalkeeper has shown remarkable maturity despite conceding 17 goals after 14 appearances. That is the reason why Trung Kien was called up to the Vietnam national team by coach Kim Sang Sik last year and then won the ASEAN Cup 2024. He is also planned for the No. 1 position in the U22 Vietnam goal at SEA Games 33.
Goalkeeper Trung Kien (left cover) and Goalkeeper Coach Lee Won Jae on the Vietnam national team's training ground. Photo: ANH KHOA
Who is the opportunity for?
Although weaker than the Vietnamese team, Cambodia and Laos promise to cause many difficulties for the Vietnamese team in the two upcoming matches in Binh Duong . These two teams have both played well in the 2024 ASEAN Cup and have many naturalized players.
Cambodia brought 5 naturalized players to Vietnam, while Laos brought 3 players born in France. In the 4-1 victory of the Vietnamese team over Laos in the 2024 ASEAN Cup , it is noteworthy that all three players of French origin (Theo Klein, Roman Angot, Victor Ngovinassack) were absent.
Therefore, choosing who will start each match is something that coach Kim Sang Sik has to consider quite a bit. Dinh Trieu has only just returned to the training field yesterday (March 16), so it is unlikely that he will be able to play in the friendly match with Cambodia. Mr. Kim may save Dinh Trieu for the official match with Laos, but he does not rule out having to consider another starter if Dinh Trieu's injury does not improve.
Van Viet is a strong competitor with Trung Kien in the Cambodia match. But it is likely that coach Kim Sang Sik will give Trung Kien the opportunity to start the Cambodia match. With a friendly match, Trung Kien can play for the Vietnam national team for the first time.
The height of 1m91 is Trung Kien's biggest advantage compared to Xuan Hoang (1m84) and Van Viet (1m80). Not only does he have an ideal physique, Trung Kien is also highly regarded for his quick reflexes and stable playing performance.
Xuan Hoang has experience and plays well. But in many matches, he also made Thanh Hoa FC scared because of his unsafe handling. Depending on the performance against Cambodia, especially Dinh Trieu's injury situation, coach Kim Sang Sik will choose the number 1 goalkeeper in the match against Laos.
This is an official match, with the meaning of competing with the main opponent Malaysia for the only ticket of Group F to the final round of the Asian Cup 2027, so coach Kim Sang Sik and his team cannot be subjective. If Dinh Trieu does not recover, Van Viet will probably be selected.
U22 Vietnam on the way to China
Today (March 17), U22 Vietnam departed for China to prepare for the CFA Team China friendly tournament with matches against U22 Korea (March 21), U22 Uzbekistan (March 23) and U22 China (March 25). This is the first screening of the team's squad for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers in September and the 33rd SEA Games in December of U22 Vietnam.
Compared to the initial list, U22 Vietnam will not have the services of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien (promoted to train with the national team) and striker Nguyen Dinh Bac (broken toe injury). The team will participate in the tournament with 25 players including 3 goalkeepers, including two Vietnamese-American midfielders Viktor Le (Hong Linh Ha Tinh, V-League) and Andrej Nguyen An Khanh (SK Polanka, Czech Republic 4th Division).
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gap-campuchia-va-lao-ai-se-bat-chinh-o-tuyen-viet-nam-20250317085340168.htm
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