U22 Vietnam: Why did coach Kim Sang Sik say no to overseas Vietnamese players?

Victor Le became the only overseas Vietnamese player called up by coach Kim Sang Sik for the U22 Vietnam team. But the reason for his absence was partly due to the Korean coach.

Still difficult

In the upcoming SEA Games 33 training session, coach Kim Sang Sik only called up one overseas Vietnamese player, Viktor Le, while two other expected names, Tran Thanh Trung and Vadim Nguyen, were not present.

This decision did not surprise experts too much, because in reality, winning a place in the Vietnam U22 team for overseas Vietnamese players has never been easy.

Tran Thanh Trung, although highly rated, ultimately could not stay even at the U22 level.

Tran Thanh Trung has been mentioned a lot by the media for his impressive performance in Europe, or Vadim Nguyen - a player who grew up in Russia, are both considered to have great potential. However, when returning to the Vietnamese football environment, these players have not created a clear difference to convince the U22 Vietnam coaching staff.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time coach Kim Sang Sik has said “no” to a Vietnamese-American player. Previously, he had eliminated Bui Alex, which shows that under the Korean strategist, the selection criteria are not only based on reputation or origin but also the ability to adapt to the tactical system and team spirit.

Why?

The reason why overseas Vietnamese players have difficulty staying in the Vietnam U22 team is due to many reasons, originating from both sides: the players and the team environment.

First is the issue of integration and culture. The integration of overseas Vietnamese players is still not really high. This is not only in communication skills or living culture but also in playing style.

And the reason comes from coach Kim Sang Sik only in part.

The physical problem is also a significant minus point. Except for Viktor Le who is familiar with it, most Vietnamese players like Thanh Trung and Vadim Nguyen can only maintain high intensity for about 2/3 of the playing time. With the philosophy of pressing, continuous movement and high intensity coordination that coach Kim Sang Sik is applying, this is clearly a big disadvantage.

Besides, the Korean coach's philosophy also prioritizes cohesion and organization - something that overseas Vietnamese players find difficult to fully demonstrate when they first join the team. They may be technical, they may be strong, but to integrate into the team, to meet the detailed tactical requirements of coach Kim Sang Sik, still needs more time.

The door to the U22 Vietnam team has never been completely closed to overseas Vietnamese players. But clearly, to gain the trust of Mr. Kim Sang Sik, it takes more than reputation – it must be integration, physical strength and discipline. And as long as those factors are not improved, the journey of overseas Vietnamese players in the Vietnam youth team will still be… very difficult.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/u22-viet-nam-vi-dau-hlv-kim-sang-sik-noi-khong-voi-cau-thu-viet-kieu-2461083.html