Another 'strange' factor shines: If coach Kim values ​​the team, U.23 Vietnam will be even stronger

U.23 Vietnam will head to SEA Games 33 with many new players, after coach Kim Sang-sik had time to observe and evaluate the performance of players in the V-League.

U.23 Vietnam continues to be renewed

After winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship and qualifying for the 2026 Asian U.23 Finals, Vietnam U.23 will have a 2-month break before aiming for the final goal this year: winning a medal at the 33rd SEA Games, taking place in December in Thailand.

It is easy to see that coach Kim Sang-sik used the entire squad of the U.23 Southeast Asian championship team to "cover" the U.23 Asian qualifiers.

U.23 Vietnam has a stable framework

PHOTO: MINH TU

Mr. Kim's trusted players such as goalkeeper Trung Kien, central defenders Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, Nhat Minh, fullbacks Phi Hoang, Anh Quan, midfielders Xuan Bac, Van Truong, Van Khang, Cong Phuong, or strikers Quoc Viet, Dinh Bac, Ngoc My... have all taken the field and gradually proven their abilities in both fields.

U.23 Vietnam conquers SEA Games 33 gold medal: Why not?

However, that does not mean that U.23 Vietnam will participate in SEA Games 33 with this squad. The reason why coach Kim Sang-sik uses the same squad for the two tournaments is because the gap between the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament (July) and the 2026 Asian U.23 qualifiers (early September) is relatively close. During this period, the V-League has only had 3 rounds, too few for Mr. Kim to filter out new players.

But SEA Games 33 is a different story. The V-League cycle has returned, with continuous matches that will give the Korean coach a perspective on new factors. In the next 2 months, Mr. Kim's team will continue to go to the field to take notes, study video tapes... to select reliable players for U.23 Vietnam.

Dinh Bac and his teammates need fierce and continuous competition to have the motivation to maintain their form, which will shape the future of young players.

Who is rising?

On the evening of September 21, Ho Chi Minh City Police Club defeated the host Becamex Ho Chi Minh City at Binh Duong Stadium with a score of 3-1 to rise to second place.

Despite recruiting many talented players, Coach Le Huynh Duc has bravely let the Ho Chi Minh City Police team play the past 5 matches with the U.23 midfielder pair, Duc Phu and Quoc Cuong.

Duc Phu (left) is small but fights persistently.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Duc Phu was discovered by coach Philippe Troussier and given a starting position before the 32nd SEA Games (2023). The player, who was playing for PVF-CAND at the time, was trusted for his versatility, as he could play as a central midfielder and a full-back. Despite his small stature, Duc Phu was agile, skillful and adaptable to many playing styles.

That is the reason why when moving to a new environment (Ho Chi Minh City Police Club), Duc Phu immediately won the position. 5 starting matches (449 minutes), of which 4 matches played the full 90 minutes, are statistics that speak to the importance of the midfielder who is gradually becoming the "trump card" of a famously strict coach like Le Huynh Duc.

When Coach Troussier left, Duc Phu also gradually lost his position in U.23 Vietnam. However, if he continues to play regularly and fly high with the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, Coach Troussier's old student can make a spectacular comeback. The U.23 Vietnam midfield is witnessing an "open" race, when both old (Van Truong, Thai Son) and new (Xuan Bac, Cong Phuong) factors have opportunities. With Duc Phu, Mr. Kim's midfield will be more mobile and versatile.

Quoc Cuong is also adapting well to the HCM City Police Club, with 371 minutes of playing time since the start of the tournament. Compared to Duc Phu, Quoc Cuong does not have as good a physical foundation (he was replaced in the second half in all 5 matches), but the former midfielder of Ba Ria - Vung Tau (now HCM City Club) still has strengths such as the ability to penetrate the penalty area, turn quickly, skillfully and finish well.

Quoc Cuong is an interesting discovery of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

It was Quoc Cuong who raised the score to 2-1 against Becamex TP.HCM with a skillful left-footed shot into the far corner. This was the first goal of the midfielder born in 2004 in V-League.

Quoc Cuong was once called up by acting coach Dinh Hong Vinh to join U.23 Vietnam in a series of friendly matches in March, where he and his teammates drew with U.23 Korea, U.23 China and U.23 Uzbekistan. Quoc Cuong is one of the names that Mr. Vinh highly values. The rough diamond is still being polished to wait for the day to shine.

In addition, there are many young players for coach Kim Sang-sik to choose from. U.23 Vietnam needs more "new blood" to move towards a more complete version for the SEA Games and the U.23 Asian tournament.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/them-nhan-to-la-toa-sang-neu-duoc-kim-trong-dung-u23-viet-nam-se-con-manh-hon-185250922102751428.htm