What potential seeds of U.23 Vietnam are waiting to bloom?

U.23 Vietnam's journey ended after a 0-1 defeat to U.23 Iraq in the quarterfinals of U.23 Asia 2024. In the end, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team could not win tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics. But this is not a disappointing result.

Right before the departure date, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) decided not to set performance targets for U.23 Vietnam. This is purely a playground to screen elite gems to develop for the Vietnamese team in the near future. In this aspect, coach Hoang Anh Tuan has found many promising players, although most of them have only just turned 20 years old, which means they can participate in SEA Games 33 (2025) or the U. 23 Asia 2026.

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Le Nguyen Hoang (born 2005, SLNA Club)

Le Nguyen Hoang is one of the most stable and solid factors in Vietnam's U.23 defense. Even though he is only 19 years old, the SLNA midfielder has been trusted with a starting position on the defensive line.

He appeared in the starting lineup of U.23 Vietnam in 3 out of 4 matches, respectively against U.23 Kuwait, U.23 Malaysia and U.23 Iraq. In all the matches played, Nguyen Hoang played very maturely, with phases of clinging, marking, tackling and reading situations well.

The midfielder wearing shirt number 5 showed a rare calm demeanor for a young player, stepping onto the Asian U.23 playground for the first time and having to face players 3 or 4 years older than him.

This is the result of the cumulative process, when Nguyen Hoang was promoted to the SLNA first team from this season. The fact that SLNA encountered difficulties in terms of strength and had to promote many young stars to the first team has become a bridge for many new players, including Nguyen Hoang, to come to light. The 19-year-old has made 6 appearances since the beginning of the season and will continue to improve.

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At SEA Games 33 and the Asian U.23 tournament two years later, Nguyen Hoang can continue to play the pivotal role and play more maturely.

Vo Hoang Minh Khoa (born 2001, Binh Duong Club)

From being a "sidekick" under coach Philippe Troussier, Minh Khoa was named by coach Hoang Anh Tuan to the main squad, then proved his ability in the 23 Asian U.2024 tournament with 4 appearances, including 3 main matches.

Minh Khoa's best match from the beginning of the tournament was the match against U.23 Malaysia. The player born in 2001 not only attacked effectively, scoring 1 goal, had a successful pass rate of up to 76,9% on the opponent's field, but also retreated well to defend with 4 interceptions, 2 The ball was cleared to clear the danger. The heat chart covering the field shows the impressive activity intensity of the 23-year-old midfielder.

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This is what coach Hoang Anh Tuan needs in a central midfielder: persistent, diligent and disciplined when off the ball, but also creative and unpredictable when holding the ball, contributing to both defense and attack. By regularly playing for Binh Duong Club this season, Minh Khoa has a favorable stepping stone to step up to new heights.

Bui Vi Hao (born 2003, Binh Duong Club)

Bui Vi Hao is one of the most impressive faces of U.23 Vietnam from the beginning of the tournament. Even though he only plays a reserve role, every time he comes on the field, the striker born in 2003 is very "lucky" with goals.

After scoring a double in the opening match, Vi Hao continued to play as a substitute against U.23 Malaysia and won a penalty (later successfully scored by Minh Khoa). In the match against U.23 Iraq, Vi Hao continued to play hard and aggressively to connect the play, with many passes to open space for his teammates.

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Vi Hao also made progress at the club as the main spearhead of Binh Duong Club, with 14 matches from the beginning of the tournament. Under the coaching hands of Mr. Le Huynh Duc, a former famous striker of the Vietnamese team and the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, Vi Hao handled things faster, more streamlined and less cumbersome. This is an expected striker of Vietnamese football.

Nguyen Van Truong (born in 2003, Hanoi Club)

In his second appearance in the U.23 Asian finals, Van Truong played better. Initially, he was just a backup plan for Nguyen Dinh Bac. However, after Dinh Bac's injury, Van Truong took the starting role and played the main role until the end of the tournament.

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Besides an assist, Van Truong also impressed with his ability to hold the ball, pass the ball to escape the opponent's pressure, or dribble to create breakthroughs. In the match against U.1 Iraq, Van Truong's tricky and unpredictable moves many times caused the opponent to commit fouls and receive penalty kicks.

At the age of 21, Van Truong is very potential. If coach Daiki Iwamasa continues to facilitate him at Hanoi Club, Van Truong will continue to mature.

Nguyen Manh Hung (born 2005, Viettel Sports Club)

Even though the tournament ended with a red card, we can sympathize with Manh Hung in his first appearance at the U.23 Asian tournament. 

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The 19-year-old youngest member of U.23 Vietnam played with great effort and enthusiasm, had many disputes, chased and cut the ball well. Arranged as the main player to replace senior Nguyen Ngoc Thang, Manh Hung showed desirable potential.

One of the reasons why Manh Hung is inexperienced is that this player has just played in the first division. In the coming years, Manh Hung will improve if he plays in the V-League and learns from many talented seniors at Viettel The Cong Club such as Bui Tien Dung or Nguyen Thanh Binh.

Thanhnien.vn