Regrettable absences of the Vietnam team

The November training session of the Vietnamese team to prepare for the match against Laos lacked a number of prominent players playing in the V-League.

Do Thanh Thinh's energetic performance helped Ninh Binh top the table - Photo: NGOC LE

The list of Vietnam national team announced on the afternoon of November 6th showed the safety and also the exceptions of coach Kim Sang Sik. Most of the 23 players are familiar personnel. There are only a few cases of rookies and returning veterans.

The two new recruits are defender Khong Minh Gia Bao and striker Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong. The returning veterans are goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu, defender Phan Tuan Tai, midfielder Tran Bao Toan and Le Van Do. The common point of this group is that they have been playing well recently, helping their home teams to rank high in the V-League 2025 - 2026.

Except for the special case of Nguyen Xuan Son, who was given special permission to return after a long time of not playing due to injury, the list of Vietnam national team this time recorded players with high performance in the national championship. However, it still caused regrets when not being able to call up all the players who are making an impression.

Starting from the defender position. Not only Truong Tien Anh (The Cong - Viettel ), Pham Xuan Manh (Hanoi Club) but Dung Quang Nho and Do Thanh Thinh (Ninh Binh Club) are also flourishing in the full-back position.

Quang Nho and Thanh Thinh are the wingers who are helping Ninh Binh explode from the first division to the V-League. After 10 matches, Quang Nho scored 1 goal, Thanh Thinh scored 1 goal and made 3 assists, helping the ancient capital team lead the V-League table. With their physical playing style and diverse finishing ability, the two players deserve the opportunity to compete in the Vietnam national team.

Tran Minh Vuong continues to shine in Dong Nai - Photo: BTC

In midfield, Tran Minh Vuong not being called up to the national team is also a pity because he is continuously scoring and creating assists for Truong Tuoi Dong Nai in the First Division. Minh Vuong was called up to the Vietnam national team under coach Park Hang Seo and has a lot of experience playing in the V-League.

However, playing in the lower leagues at this time is a big disadvantage and is the reason why he was not called up to the national team. Dang Van Lam is the most recent example. Before returning to the Vietnam national team, Van Lam was almost ignored by coach Kim Sang Sik when Ninh Binh had not been promoted.

Besides, Nguyen Van Tu, a player considered a new discovery of coach Velizar Popov at The Cong - Viettel, also deserves a chance to "eat national team rice". He is often placed by coach Popov to play in the midfield of the army team this season, making a certain contribution to help the team reach the top 3.

In the forward line, Do Hoang Hen also made a strong impression in the V-League when he was just naturalized as a Vietnamese citizen. After only 4 matches, Hoang Hen scored 2 goals and contributed 1 assist to help Hanoi FC revive their form.

The reason why Do Hoang Hen has not been called up for a trial is because he is not eligible to play until the end of 2025 according to FIFA regulations. However, Hen still deserves to be called up to the national team to integrate into the atmosphere and prove his class to coach Kim Sang Sik.

In addition to the above names, some good players cannot join the Vietnam national team at the end of this year, such as defender Nguyen Thanh Binh, midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa and striker Nguyen Van Toan, because they are being treated for injuries.

However, with 23 current personnel, the Vietnamese team still has enough strength to complete the victory goal before the rematch with Laos in the second leg of the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Back to topic

NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhung-su-vang-mat-dang-tiec-cua-tuyen-viet-nam-2025110712000575.htm