The 'rough gem' that will improve the quality of Vietnam U.22's attack has been revealed, Coach Kim, don't miss it!

Does Dinh Xuan Tien have a chance in U.22 Vietnam?

Vietnam U.22 will gather in March, to prepare for the first friendly training session in 2025. To prepare for the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers (taking place in September) and the 33rd SEA Games (November), coach Kim Sang-sik will start testing and screening the squad right now.

Sharing with Thanh Nien Newspaper, commentator Vu Quang Huy affirmed: "Coach Kim Sang-sik has in hand a list of potential players, possibly up to 50 people to evaluate. Vietnamese youth football is always excited to prepare in the years with SEA Games, so I have faith in the U.22 generation."

Coach Kim Sang-sik needs new elements

One of the problems that coach Kim Sang-sik has to face is the quality of the attack, when there are very few young strikers who are showing their talent in the V-League. However, there are still potential "rough diamonds" who are showing themselves on the field every week to make their mark. Among them is Dinh Xuan Tien of SLNA.

The striker born in 2003 scored his first goal in the V-League this season, scoring a golden goal that helped SLNA beat Hai Phong in the "reverse final". In the 41st minute, Xuan Tien broke the offside trap and received a pass from his teammate, then faced goalkeeper Dinh Trieu in a narrow angle. The young striker of SLNA flicked his foot to finish very delicately, sending the ball just far enough to get past Dinh Trieu's hand and into the Hai Phong net.

That was the shining moment that Xuan Tien had been waiting for for a year (his last goal was on February 27, 2024), to once again enjoy the feeling of celebration in the V-League.

Today also marks 1 year since Xuan Tien returned from suspension at SLNA. He was disciplined internally for 3 months (from December 2023 to February 2024) for violating team rules.

"Many talents, many faults" is the phrase many people use to describe Xuan Tien. The striker born in 2003 has class, as evidenced by the fact that at the age of 19, he was called up by coach Dinh The Nam to join the U.23 Vietnam team to compete in the 2022 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament. Xuan Tien had an eye-catching debut when he scored a hat-trick, helping the U.23 Vietnam team crush the U.23 Singapore team 7-0. However, fate seemed to... tease Xuan Tien when he contracted Covid-19, causing him to miss the rest of the tournament.

Xuan Tien only played 94 minutes at SEA Games 32 because he had not fully recovered.

But in the eyes of experts, the name Dinh Xuan Tien has left a certain impression. In 2023, Xuan Tien once again participated in the U.23 Southeast Asia tournament. This time, luck did not turn away. The young talent of SLNA won the top scorer title with 3 goals, helping U.23 Vietnam win the championship.

Xuan Tien has all the elements to break through. He plays regularly at the club (59 matches from 2022 to present), wears the youth team jersey and shines. However, Xuan Tien still cannot break through. This player... sometimes appears and sometimes disappears, rarely maintains stable performance. The disciplinary sentence at SLNA 1 year ago was a warning for Xuan Tien. That for players, especially young players, attitude is always more important than skill level.

Waiting for the comeback

After the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, Dinh Xuan Tien was eliminated from the group of young players that coach Philippe Troussier "planned" for the Vietnamese team. When Mr. Kim Sang-sik took over, Xuan Tien was also not targeted for the 2024 AFF Cup.

However, the story of U.22 Vietnam may be different. First of all, the current U.22 generation under Mr. Kim's control has very few players who have played in the V-League. Xuan Tien is a rare "rough gem" alongside Trung Kien, Ly Duc (HAGL), Van Khang (The Cong Viettel), Thai Son (Thanh Hoa) and Vi Hao ( Binh Duong ) who are regularly used in over 12 matches.

Coach Kim needs more from the attacking players.

Xuan Tien also plays the position that U.22 Vietnam is lacking in talent. Although he is a midfielder in name, the young talent of SLNA can play as a "false 9". That is, an attacking midfielder, but is ready to rush forward like a striker to score. In the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament 2 years ago, Xuan Tien was used by coach Hoang Anh Tuan in this role, and he left an impression.

That is the reason why when asked who he wanted to recommend to U.22 Vietnam for coach Kim Sang-sik, SLNA coach Phan Nhu Thuat chose Xuan Tien.

Short-distance acceleration skills, diverse and sharp finishing are the basis for Xuan Tien to be given opportunities. The 22-year-old striker has also become more mature after a difficult period. Combined with the accumulated experience, Xuan Tien's return is probably not far away.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ngoc-tho-nang-chat-hang-cong-u22-viet-nam-da-lo-dien-thay-kim-cho-bo-lo-185250217163039901.htm