Vietnam National Team: Does the 'diamond' generation still have a place?

Coach Kim Sang Sik's surprising list of Vietnam's players makes people wonder: Is the era of Cong Phuong, Bui Tien Dung... over?

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The most special and notable point in this call-up of the Vietnamese team is that coach Kim Sang Sik has carried out a drastic "rejuvenation". If we do not count the case of Doan Ngoc Tan (born in 1994), who was initially named but later had to withdraw due to a serious injury, the remaining players of the Vietnamese team were all born from 1996 onwards.

That means the entire generation of players born in 1995 or earlier, the generation considered the "diamond" of Vietnamese football with names like Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Bui Tien Dung, or veteran goalkeepers Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Filip... are all absent.

Coach Kim Sang Sik begins planning to replace the Vietnamese team with young players.

This is an unprecedented move in nearly a decade. Since the miracle of Changzhou 2018, the Vietnamese team's framework has always had the presence and core role of this generation of players.

They are the symbol of the most successful period in the history of Vietnamese football, so the fact that coach Kim Sang Sik has blatantly crossed out this entire generation to give opportunities to younger faces like Quang Kiet, Hoang Phuc, Gia Hung... shows a turning point change in his thinking about building his team.

Obviously, the Korean strategist wants to create a new breeze, a new competitiveness for the team.

The 'diamond' generation has no place in the Vietnamese team?

It is probably too early to say that the 1995 generation has completely run out of space at this point. Certainly, in the upcoming important tournaments, Coach Kim Sang Sik still needs the experience and courage of great players.

However, it cannot be denied that this training session is a strong message sent by the Korean coach: The reform has officially begun.

Many players of the "diamond" generation are no longer in the plans of the Korean coach.

A place in the national team will no longer be a “privilege” based on reputation or past contributions. Instead, it will be decided by actual performance, desire to contribute and suitability to the coach’s philosophy.

This may be a controversial decision, but it is absolutely necessary for the future of the team. Stagnation and lack of competition in some positions have been a long-standing problem.

And now, coach Kim Sang Sik is forcing everyone to step out of their comfort zone. The veterans will have to work harder at the club to regain their positions, while the young players have a golden opportunity to prove themselves.

This reform may bring initial turmoil, but it is a must to create a more vibrant and ambitious Vietnam team.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-lieu-the-he-kim-cuong-co-con-cho-dung-2438038.html