Nguyen Le Phat (right) - the only player remaining among the 3 players called up in the final training session - Photo: NK
After much hesitation in choosing, coach Kim Sang Sik had to wait until the morning of November 30 to be able to announce the official list of 23 players competing at the congress.
No surprise
In defense, coach Kim Sang Sik eliminated two central defenders with very good height, Dinh Quang Kiet (1.95m tall) and Le Van Ha (1.84m).
However, this decision is not surprising. Because both of them are limited in experience compared to the other central defenders, slow to move and do not cover well for their teammates. Le Van Ha is rated higher than Quang Kiet, but he does not even have the opportunity to play for Hanoi FC in V-League 2025-2026.
The omission of experienced striker Bui Vi Hao is not surprising. Returning after 8 months of injury, Vi Hao was given the opportunity to come on as a substitute in two matches of the 2025 Panda Cup, but has not yet regained his former sharpness.
More importantly, Vi Hao can only play as a left winger. Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang Sik prioritizes versatility in order to make the best use of the current squad.
That is the reason why Mr. Kim kept Nguyen Le Phat - the 18-year-old striker who was called up for the second time, and came back for the short training session in Ba Ria along with two midfielders Tran Thanh Trung and Nguyen Duc Viet.
In addition to his excellent performance for Ninh Binh Club in V-League 2025-2026, Le Phat can also play many positions: striker, winger and even central midfielder if needed.
Another strength of this 1.75m tall player is his very good physical foundation and strong fighting ability. In Mr. Kim's tactical system, the strikers must both play high pressing and drop back to support the defense.
With that strength, Le Phat has convinced the Korean coach to give him a chance. This will also be the "secret weapon" that the U22 Vietnam team will bring to Thailand for the gold medal campaign.
Trust in the available midfield
Meanwhile, the remaining two names that were eliminated were both surprising and not surprising. As mentioned, coach Kim Sang Sik prioritized versatile players, while Thanh Trung and Duc Viet could only play the central midfielder role.
Meanwhile, the form and adaptation of the duo of players who only joined the training camp this last time cannot be compared to pure central midfielders like Thai Son, Xuan Bac, Quoc Cuong or those who can play in many positions like Viktor Le or Cong Phuong.
Duc Viet was once arranged to play as a central midfielder with Thai Son in the 2024 CFA Team China International Friendly Tournament in China. This means he is no stranger to the playing style of his current U22 Vietnam teammates.
But Duc Viet has only played 13 minutes for Ninh Binh Club in the 2025-2026 National Cup qualifiers since mid-September. This does not ensure the physical strength and form as desired by Coach Kim Sang Sik.
However, the absence of this midfielder also brings regret. "Compared to Xuan Bac, Duc Viet has more experience in the national youth teams. But I think that recently, Duc Viet has had less time to play. That could be the reason why Viet did not accompany U22 Vietnam at SEA Games 33," coach Hoang Anh Tuan expressed regret for his former student.
In the context of playmaker Nguyen Van Truong being absent at the last minute due to injury, Thanh Trung's failure to be selected also brought great regret to experts and fans.
That's because this Vietnamese-Bulgarian player has more than enough expertise to replace, or at least be a backup plan. However, his poor integration in the second time joining the Vietnam U22 team caused Thanh Trung to be eliminated.
The U22 Vietnam team had 6 days of training in Ba Ria before leaving for Thailand. But in reality, Coach Kim Sang only had 4 days of training and an internal practice match in Ba Ria. And he could not risk changing both the midfield and the playing style of the U22 Vietnam team by finding a new person to replace Van Truong.
The best way is still to rely on the available central midfielders who have been training and competing for a long time. At this time, Thai Son - Xuan Bac is Mr. Kim's most promising central midfielder pair for the upcoming competition.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/u22-viet-nam-bat-dau-chinh-phuc-huy-chuong-vang-2025120111053349.htm
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