From incomplete debuts

Considered the "blockbuster" of Ninh Binh Club, Tran Thanh Trung has made his first steps in LPBank V-League 2025/26 in two matches against Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa.

In both matches, the total playing time of this Vietnamese-American player was only about one half, a period of time too short to be able to show off all his talent, especially when he had just returned from Europe.

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The overseas Vietnamese midfielder has not shown much in the 2 matches at LPBank V-League. Photo. CO

Because of such a short time, the overall performance of this highly valued overseas Vietnamese player was only rated as average. In addition, the inability to adapt to the weather in Vietnam was also the reason why Thanh Trung's debut was not very outstanding.

That doesn't mean the new player of Ninh Binh Club can't show anything. With good vision, tactical thinking, and modern playing style, Thanh Trung is rated relatively highly compared to his peers.

Is it enough to convince coach Kim Sang Sik?

Thanh Trung's technical qualities are what coach Kim Sang Sik is certainly looking for to solve the problem of creativity in the midfield of U23 Vietnam.

In fact, Mr. Kim Sang Sik and his assistants were present at the Ninh Binh stadium in the match against Thanh Hoa to directly "watch" Thanh Trung. But with what he has shown, is that enough to completely convince the Korean strategist?

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It is difficult to predict whether coach Kim Sang Sik will be convinced by Tran Thanh Trung.

The answer is probably not. Simply because everyone knows that Coach Kim Sang Sik's philosophy requires a lot from his players, not only in terms of tactics and techniques but also in terms of physical strength.

The Korean captain built his playing style on high-intensity pressing, constant movement and a fiery fighting spirit.

Players must ensure enough strength to compete and maintain speed throughout the 90 minutes. Looking back at Thanh Trung's performance, although there were moments of brilliance, there were also times when he seemed out of breath and weak in one-on-one confrontations.

Thanh Trung's talent is undeniable, but just showing it "simply" like that is not enough to convince a strict coach like Mr. Kim Sang Sik. Therefore, in the upcoming U23 Vietnam training camp, it will be very difficult for this Vietnamese-American midfielder to be named by the Korean coach.

That is the near future. Even further, once Thanh Trung is fully integrated into the V-League, Mr. Kim Sang Sik will definitely need the midfielder from Ninh Binh for U23 Vietnam. Even the Vietnamese team is waiting for the new wind that has just returned from the land of roses.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/u23-viet-nam-tran-thanh-trung-co-thuyet-phuc-duoc-hlv-kim-sang-sik-2435605.html