Coach Kim Sang-sik urgently seeks a replacement for Van Truong at U.23 Vietnam
Photo: Minh Tu
Vietnam U.23 team strengthens midfield
Van Truong's injury in CFA Team China - Panda Cup 2025 is a heavy blow to the ambition to compete for the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, leaving a gap in the midfield in the playing style of U.23 Vietnam.
Coach Kim Sang-sik is urgently looking for a replacement for the midfielder of Hanoi Club, calling up two additional midfielders Thanh Trung and Duc Viet from Ninh Binh FC, but also starting to pay attention to the very interesting name that is available, Nguyen Cong Phuong.
Overseas Vietnamese player Tran Thanh Trung received a lot of expectations when he returned to Vietnam from Europe, but unfortunately his integration into Vietnamese football has not been smooth due to injuries.
Cong Phuong has a bright future ahead.
Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang
However, Tran Thanh Trung's tears when his injury relapsed (fortunately it was just a software problem - PV), in the match where Ninh Binh FC defeated Ho Chi Minh City Police Club at Thong Nhat Stadium on November 9th, showed the desire to contribute of the midfielder born in 2005.
On the contrary, Duc Viet is a familiar name in U.23 Vietnam, with extensive experience competing in SEA Games 32, ASIAD 2023 and U.23 Asia Finals 2024. He has been called up many times by coach Kim Sang-sik but is often returned at the last minute.
Mr. Kim's naming of these two players opens up the last chance for them to convince the Korean strategist that they possess enough technical and tactical qualities to suit the U.23 Vietnam team's playing style.
Cong Phuong, why not?
Cong Phuong is the hero who helped U.23 Vietnam defeat U.23 Indonesia.
Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang
At this time, looking at the way U.23 Vietnam uses people in CFA Team China - Panda Cup 2025 shows that the top central midfielder pair at the moment is Xuan Bac and Thai Son. The third candidate is Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong, who possesses powerful long-range shots in the HCM City Police Club shirt.
The duo Duc Viet and Thanh Trung will compete with the three names mentioned above to find opportunities at SEA Games 33. However, U.23 Vietnam also has a very notable name, the 19-year-old boy Nguyen Cong Phuong.
Fans still remember the name Nguyen Cong Phuong with the goal that brought a 1-0 victory over Indonesia, helping U.23 Vietnam convincingly win the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship right on the opponent's home field.
Tran Thanh Trung has one last chance to convince coach Kim Sang-sik.
Photo: Ninh Binh FC
Recently, Mr. Kim often arranged for Cong Phuong to play in the attacking position as an attacking midfielder or right striker in U.23 Vietnam. But Van Truong's injury was like a reminder, making him suddenly remember that the young man born in 2006 is essentially a central midfielder.
In fact, the rising star of The Cong Viettel often plays as a central midfielder in Vietnam’s youth teams, including the U.20 Vietnam team where he is the captain. He himself also trains and plays for The Cong Viettel as a midfield midfielder.
Despite his youth, Cong Phuong has accumulated a lot of V-League experience at The Cong Viettel, in addition to international experience in the national team. We can see this through his confident and mature playing style in the U.23 Southeast Asia tournament and then the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers.
Therefore, when coach Kim Sang-sik was looking for a replacement for the injured Van Truong, Cong Phuong - with his versatility - emerged as a flexible option, helping U.23 Vietnam have more options to rotate at SEA Games 33 and further to the 2026 AFC U.23 Championship.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-kim-phat-hien-phuong-an-tuyen-giua-u23-viet-nam-xa-tan-chan-troi-gan-ngay-185251122132045685.htm
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