The SEA Games fire burns in the hearts of the Vietnamese team

YOUNG PLAYERS OF THE TEAM

When giving opportunities to two young players Van Truong and Vi Hao (both born in 2003) in the September 2024 training session, coach Kim Sang-sik once said that it is necessary to nurture young talents because they are the future of Vietnamese football.

Bui Vi Hao matured thanks to his experience in the Vietnam national team and Binh Duong Club.

When he was coaching Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Mr. Kim and his close friend Park Ji-sung (as technical director) boldly rejuvenated the squad. The decision to change Jeonbuk in the final stage of his reign shows that this Korean coach always promotes change and is not satisfied with current success.

The idea of ​​rejuvenation was applied by Mr. Kim as soon as he arrived in Vietnam, when a series of young players such as Van Truong, Vi Hao, Dinh Bac, Thai Son, Van Khang, Trung Kien, Quoc Viet... joined the national team one after another to prove themselves. It can be understood that only Van Khang and Vi Hao were given a starting position in the AFF Cup 2024, because Mr. Kim was under pressure to reach the final, leading to the decision to trust experienced players for immediate success. And now, when the Vietnamese team plays 6 qualifying matches for the 2027 Asian Cup in 1 year (from March 2025 to March 2026) against opponents below his level, the opportunity for Mr. Kim to transfer the generation and test young personnel has come.

In the March training session, coach Kim Sang-sik called up 5 players under the age of 22, including: Trung Kien, Ly Duc, Vi Hao, Van Khang and Thai Son. All 5 players were born in 2003 and have proven their abilities in the V-League.

For goalkeeper Trung Kien, this is his first season playing the number 1 role in HAGL's shirt (14 starting matches in V-League since the beginning of the tournament). This goalkeeper with an ideal height of 1.9 m is becoming more and more mature, his reflexes and judgment skills are improving day by day thanks to facing the harshness of V-League.

With Ly Duc, it is the number of 16 complete matches since the beginning of the tournament for HAGL in the position of central defender. He is the only player who has not rested a minute for HAGL in V-League 2024 - 2025 (always played the whole match), with a good physical foundation and beautiful body, can compete equally with foreign players. As for Vi Hao, Van Khang and Thai Son, they have become familiar since 2023, when they were trained by former coach Philippe Troussier at the national team and U.22 Vietnam level.

FOR THE FUTURE OF VIETNAMESE FOOTBALL

The above 5 faces will form the vertical axis of U.22 Vietnam in the U.23 Asian qualifiers and SEA Games. Determining the vertical axis (including goalkeeper, central defender, midfielder and striker) helps coach Kim Sang-sik shape the playing style and core players, then fill in the surrounding positions to complete the operating formula. The next step after finding the U.22 framework is to interweave the young generation with the seniors in the Vietnam team so that the young players can learn and gain experience.

Along with U.22 Vietnam being trained by coach Dinh Hong Vinh, the U.22 players in the Vietnam national team are like excellent students receiving advanced training to keep the SEA Games ambition burning in the heart of the team. U.22 Vietnam is like a stepping stone for young talents to take off to the national team, so these two levels are always closely linked in terms of people, playing philosophy and goals.

Expert Doan Minh Xuong assessed: "Both the Vietnamese national team and U.22 have big goals in 2025, so focusing on the two teams and rotating personnel is necessary. The young players called up to the national team are all worthy, as they have played steadily and tried hard in the V-League. Coach Kim Sang-sik himself needs new elements to reshape the playing style as well as the motivation for the Vietnamese national team, promoting competitiveness so that both the old and new generations can try their best. To renew the Vietnamese national team, this is the most appropriate time when the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers are spread out, making it convenient for Mr. Kim to calculate the long term. Experience in the Vietnamese national team is also very necessary for young players like Vi Hao, Thai Son... to become more mature, thanks to which when they return to U.22 Vietnam, they can take on a more important role, asserting themselves in the 2026 Asian U.23 qualifiers and SEA Games 33".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lua-sea-games-chay-trong-long-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185250312224621549.htm