A breath of fresh air from coach Troussier

After months of actively observing V-League pitches, Coach Troussier made a decision, true to his stated sentiment: "I don't close the door on any player. As head coach, I have to anticipate a player's performance on the field. I want to give players equal opportunities." Accordingly, the Vietnamese national team's training camp (from September 1-12) continues to see the appearance of many new faces, alongside seasoned veterans.

THE "NEW WINDS"

With the goal of building an optimal squad for the Vietnamese national team heading into the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, Coach Troussier has given opportunities to quite a few new faces. The newly announced list includes 9 names who have never been called up to the national team since the "White Wizard" returned to Vietnamese football, including: goalkeeper Pham Van Phong, Nguyen Duc Chien, Duong Van Hao ( Viettel FC), Nguyen Huu Son, Trieu Viet Hung, Pham Trung Hieu (Hai Phong FC), Pham Van Luan (Hanoi Police FC), Hoang Thai Binh (Thanh Hoa FC), and Vu Quang Nam (Ha Tinh FC).

Làn gió mới từ HLV Troussier - Ảnh 1. — Duong Van Hao (39), a new face of the Vietnamese national team.

Of the nine players mentioned above, most are still relatively unknown to fans. While Van Phong, Duc Chien, and Viet Hung were given opportunities by coach Park Hang-seo during his tenure, the remaining six players are experiencing the atmosphere of the Vietnamese national team for the first time. However, the common point among most of these newcomers is that they have all played extensively in the domestic league and have shown consistent performance for their clubs.

In particular, Duong Van Hao was one of the pillars of the Vietnam U.19 team that achieved a historic feat, qualifying for the 2017 U.20 World Cup. Nguyen Duc Chien is also a very noteworthy player. The midfielder from Viettel Club has a good physique, plays with passion, and is not afraid of physical contact. Although playing in the defensive midfield position, Duc Chien has shone many times at crucial moments, scoring a total of 9 goals for Viettel Club last season.

VETERANS RETURN AND A REGRETTABLE ABSENCE

This training camp for the Vietnamese national team welcomes the return of Do Hung Dung. The midfielder, born in 1993, was absent from the June training camp due to injury. Veteran striker Nguyen Van Quyet has also been called up by coach Troussier, after missing the most recent training camp due to an 8-match suspension in domestic competitions. Despite being suspended for many matches, the 32-year-old striker from Hanoi FC remains the most effective domestic striker in V-League 2023, with 9 goals in 14 matches.

Two former HAGL stars, Nguyen Cong Phuong (Yokohama FC, Japan) and Nguyen Van Toan (Seoul E-land FC, South Korea), despite not having played much abroad, were given special treatment by coach Troussier. He explained: "I believe no Vietnamese player is actually playing abroad. In fact, Vietnamese strikers in V-League 2023 only score an average of 2 to 3 goals. We have doubts about Cong Phuong or Van Toan, but Tien Linh and Thanh Binh are also not in high form, so it's too early to drop Cong Phuong or Van Toan. Their skill level is still much higher than many starting players in the V-League, and I don't want to lose them."

In the goalkeeper position, Dang Van Lam is still considered the top choice. Van Lam's rival, Filip Nguyen, is eager to play for the Vietnamese national team but has not yet completed his naturalization process. Coach Troussier also expressed enthusiasm and will wait for the Vietnamese-born goalkeeper from Hanoi Police FC in the next training camp. Goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh was named in the previous two training camps and also played well for Nam Dinh FC in V-League 2023 but was not called up. In addition, familiar faces such as Vu Van Thanh, Nguyen Phong Hong Duy, Nguyen Thanh Chung, and Nguyen Hai Huy are also absent.

During this FIFA Days training camp, the Vietnamese national team will play an international friendly match against the Palestine national team at Thien Truong Stadium on September 11th.

LIST OF PLAYERS CALLED UP FOR THE VIETNAM NATIONAL TEAM IN SEPTEMBER 2023

Goalkeepers: Dang Van Lam, Pham Van Phong, Nguyen Dinh Trieu.

Defenders: Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Do Duy Manh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Doan Van Hau, Ho Tan Tai, Hoang Thai Binh, Pham Trung Hieu, Que Ngoc Hai.

Midfielders: Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Duc Chien, Duong Van Hao, Truong Tien Anh, Nguyen Huu Son, Trieu Viet Hung, Nguyen Quang Hai, Pham Van Luan, Lam Ti Phong, Le Pham Thanh Long, Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Tuan Anh.

Forwards: Nguyen Van Quyet, Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Tien Linh, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Nguyen Van Toan, Dinh Thanh Binh, Vu Quang Nam.

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