U23 Vietnam and the journey of "panning for gold"

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If in the two previous championships (2022 and 2023), the U23 Vietnam team under the leadership of coach Dinh The Nam and coach Hoang Anh Tuan could "breathe easier" against regional opponents, this time, the situation is different. It is no coincidence that the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) decided to send national team head coach Kim Sang-sik to directly lead the U23, a move that shows the importance of this tournament in the long-term preparation strategy.

Competition in the U23 Southeast Asian arena is fiercer than ever. Host U23 Indonesia is determined to win the championship right on home soil, while U23 Malaysia and U23 Thailand also do not hide their ambition to “redraw the map” of youth football in the region.

The policy of naturalizing players and the thorough investment from the federation level shows that this is no longer a playground for friendly matches or simple competition. Every match is now a real test of strength, not only for young players but also for all football backgrounds.

After three weeks of training and friendly matches in Vietnam, coach Kim Sang-sik finalized the list of 23 players to go to Indonesia, a squad that blends young experience and the desire to prove themselves. Names such as Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Van Truong, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Thai Son are all players who have been or are currently in the national team system, with good technical and tactical foundations, suitable physiques and a clear will to improve.

It is worth noting that Coach Kim has eliminated a series of players who have made their mark such as Dinh Xuan Tien, Ho Van Cuong or Le Van Thuan, names that are familiar to fans. This choice reflects a completely different approach that does not prioritize reputation or the past, but focuses on current performance and adaptation to modern football philosophy. This U23 team is not for "experimentation", but a serious screening step for the long-term process.

Despite some difficulties in traveling to Jakarta due to traffic congestion, the team still maintained a high level of training discipline. The first training session on the evening of July 14 focused on relaxation exercises and recovery after the flight, before entering the intensive tactical training program from July 15.

Team leader Nguyen Anh Tuan, technical assistants and coach Kim Sang-sik also attended all technical meetings and press conferences arranged by the organizing committee.

The problem of performance and long-term strategy

It would be unrealistic to put the championship as the top priority. From a sustainable development perspective, youth football must be seen as a land for “growing people”. The cups won in the past, although valuable in terms of titles, cannot guarantee effective generational transfer.

The question is: How many players from the 2022, 2023 U23 Southeast Asian championships or SEA Games 31 are actually in the current national team?

The worrying reality at the 2024 AFF Cup is that Vi Hao is the only U23 player who has a starting position in the national team. Names like Van Truong, Thai Son, Quoc Viet, Van Khang or Trung Kien are still "flickering" on the edge of the official squad. Since 2015, there has never been a period when the presence of U23 players has been so dim in the Vietnamese team.

Meanwhile, according to the roadmap of Vietnam's football development project, the national team will start qualifying for the 2030 World Cup from 2027 and qualifying for the 2034 World Cup from 2031.

The period 2027-2031 is the peak period for players born in 2003-2004, the current U23 generation. Investing in, discovering, and training the "golden seeds" in the current squad is a prerequisite for Vietnam to realize its World Cup dream.

The 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, after all, is not only a place to compete for the cup, but also a place to "pave the sand for gold". In the context of young players increasingly lacking a playground due to the pressure of achievements at the club and national team levels, being able to compete in a truly competitive environment like the current one is a very valuable opportunity.

The problem is not winning or losing the match, but finding out who is truly “golden” to bring to the national team. Names like Trung Kien, Van Truong, Thai Son, Ly Duc... are all facing a crossroads: either asserting themselves in the U23 to advance to the national team, or continuing to wander in the cycle of “promising players”.

In football, the skills and experience accumulated through tournaments cannot be bought with money. The pressure from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia in this tournament will be a test enough to see who has the qualities to become a future pillar.

There are no shortcuts to the World Cup, and no magician can turn a group of immature players into a strong squad overnight. It all starts with training, and this year’s journey in Indonesia is part of that journey.

During the training days in Jakarta, U23 Vietnam not only faced heavy training sessions, but also faced expectations from fans and the problem of repositioning themselves in the changing context of Southeast Asian youth football.

We have every chance of making it through the group stage where we only have to face Laos and Cambodia, but the potential semi-finals or finals against Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand will be the “real fight”.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/u23-viet-nam-va-hanh-trinh-dai-cat-tim-vang-152671.html