Strengthening forces, U23 Vietnam aims for the 2023 Southeast Asian Championship

With a more "seasoned" force after being reinforced with 5 quality players, the Vietnam U23 team has accelerated its training schedule to have the best preparation for the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship taking place from August 17 to 26 in Thailand.

The training session on the afternoon of August 7 of the Vietnam U23 team took place in cool weather conditions. The team's numbers also became more complete with the presence of 5 new players joining the team , namely defender Nguyen Van Trieu, midfielder Nguyen Duc Viet, striker Nguyen Quoc Viet of Hoang Anh Gia Lai, defender Le Van Ha of SHB Da Nang and striker Nguyen Minh Quang from Binh Thuan club.

Because they joined the team later than their teammates, the newly added players actively practiced and tried hard to integrate with the training program of head coach Hoang Anh Tuan.

In an interview before the training session, striker Nguyen Quoc Viet said that the late training session did not affect him much because he had previously spent a long time working with coach Hoang Anh Tuan. "I have not played much in the V-League, so what I need to improve now is my physical strength and technical skills," Quoc Viet said.

Quoc Viet is considered one of the best young strikers in Vietnamese football. Under the guidance of coach Hoang Anh Tuan, the striker from Nutifood JMG Academy has shown impressive scoring form with the only goal bringing a 1-0 victory for U20 Vietnam against U20 Australia and also opening the score in U20 Vietnam's 2-1 victory over U20 Qatar at the 2023 AFC U20 Championship Finals.

Quoc Viet is very determined at the upcoming 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. “My motto is to complete the task well with my teammates in any tournament. As the defending champions, we will have to work together with the highest determination to achieve the best results at the upcoming Southeast Asian tournament,” Quoc Viet emphasized.

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Vietnam U23 players strive towards the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 tournament. (Photo: VFF)

Besides Quoc Viet, the U23 Vietnam attack also has the presence of rookie Nguyen Minh Quang (number 10). The main striker of Binh Thuan club has his first experience wearing the U23 Vietnam shirt.

Minh Quang has impressed in the 2023 National First Division when he leads the scoring list, with 8 goals to date. "The first time I was given the opportunity to join the Vietnam U23 team is a great honor for me. I will try to complete my task well," Minh Quang shared with the press before the Vietnam U23 training session.

The Binh Thuan striker said that his strengths are speed and finishing ability. However, the U23 Vietnam team is very competitive, so Minh Quang will have to work very hard to have the opportunity to play in the international arena for the first time.

“If I get to participate in the U23 Southeast Asian tournament, my first international tournament, I will try my best to complete my mission. Because this is a great honor for me,” Minh Quang said.

Nguyen Duc Viet was also one of the players who attracted attention at the training session on the afternoon of August 7 of U23 Vietnam. This midfielder is one of the few young players who have played the most in the V-League and is also a student of coach Hoang Anh Tuan at the 2023 AFC U20 Finals. Therefore, Duc Viet did not have much difficulty keeping up with U23 Vietnam.

The U23 Vietnam squad in this training session is mostly U18-U20 players. However, many players have ideal physiques with a height of over 1m8. Van Trieu (number 12) is one of them.

Le Van Ha (number 6) with a height of 1m84 is also a bright face for the defense of U23 Vietnam.

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Coach Philippe Troussier talks with coach Hoang Anh Tuan. (Photo: VFF)

At the training session, coach Philippe Troussier and assistant Moulay Azzeggouarh also exchanged information with coach Hoang Anh Tuan.

The French coach is very interested in the U23 Vietnam players participating in the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. He will call up the outstanding players to the U23 Vietnam team to prepare for the 2024 Asian U23 Qualifiers in September.

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