Give young players a chance

The U23 Vietnam players are eager to perform in the national team jersey at international playgrounds.

The Vietnamese team will play Nepal again in the 4th match of Group F, the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup at Thong Nhat Stadium (HCMC) at 7:30 p.m. on October 14 (FPT Play will report live).

Refresh the squad

Despite having home field advantage and a higher-class squad than Nepal, the Vietnamese team struggled to win against their opponents in the third match at Go Dau Stadium on October 9. In the rematch tonight, coach Kim Sang-sik will likely renew the squad, giving the U23 Vietnam players a chance to play.

Coach Kim Sang-sik arranged a 4-2-3-1 formation for Vietnam in their first match against Nepal. Despite the opening goal, the home team's attacking tactics became deadlocked against the opponent's dense defense. Vietnam's playing style only became more fluid and sharp when the Korean strategist changed personnel and the 3-4-3 formation in the second half, thereby winning 3-1 overall.

Admitting that the Vietnamese team still missed many scoring opportunities, Coach Kim also set a goal to help his players improve their overall offensive and defensive abilities before entering the rematch at Thong Nhat Stadium.

Many veteran players have not completed their tasks in the victory over Nepal. The central defender duo Do Duy Manh and Bui Tien Dung are on the other side of their peak form, no longer maintaining a stable playing condition throughout the 90 minutes. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Dang Van Lam has shown shortcomings in his ball handling skills, often making mistakes when deploying the ball from the home field, slowing down the team's attack.

In the attack, Tuan Hai and Hai Long still move flexibly and have diverse finishing, but their strong attacking situations on the wings have not been very effective. That is also the reason why the Vietnamese team only has 3 goals against a team 62 places lower in the FIFA rankings.

Possessing 75% of the ball, taking 25 shots with 10 on target and only being attacked twice, the Vietnamese team still conceded a goal in the final victory of 3-1.

Talking about the low scoring efficiency, midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc said: "In the first leg against Nepal, the Vietnamese team played with one more player but could not find a goal to decide the match early. Personally, my teammates and I were not satisfied, but the whole team has learned from experience and actively prepared for the second leg at Thong Nhat Stadium."

Vietnam national team needs to rejuvenate its force and soon create a successor generation for the future. Photo: QUOC AN

Bring a breath of fresh air

Commenting on the current form of the Vietnamese team, coach Pham Minh Duc said that there needs to be a change in the way the team plays. The former Vietnamese player praised coach Kim Sang-sik for making reasonable changes in the match and said that the coaching staff should boldly give playing opportunities to potential young players.

"The Vietnamese team's performance was not as expected because many players were not in good form. Some were overloaded because they had to compete frequently at their clubs or were not in the best physical condition after a period of injury. The young players called up this time have the qualities to become the next generation of the national team. They showed a desire to contribute, played with enthusiasm, and brought a new breeze to the playing style of the Vietnamese team" - Mr. Duc analyzed.

Under Mr. Kim, the Vietnamese team constantly rotates the squad and changes its status flexibly. Before each match, it is difficult for experts to accurately predict the starting lineup of the Vietnamese team.

The match against Nepal - a team that has no chance of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup - is an opportunity for the coaching staff to test young faces such as Trung Kien, Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh, Xuan Bac, Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Gia Hung or Phi Hoang. Among them, Van Khang, Dinh Bac and Trung Kien are in very good form, fully capable of fighting alongside their seniors in the national team.

Football expert Doan Minh Xuong emphasized: "Coach Kim Sang-sik calling up young players from U23 brings great competition to the team. Young players not only have the opportunity to compete in the continental level but also accumulate more experience before aiming for the goals at SEA Games 33 or the 2026 U23 Asian Cup."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/trao-co-hoi-cho-cau-thu-tre-196251013214148847.htm