Coach Kim must show his talent of 'panning for gold' for U.22 Vietnam

THE YOUNG ARE NOT READY

In the list of U.23 Vietnam participating in the 2024 U.23 Asian Cup (also the closest tournament for Vietnamese youth at the U.22/U.23 level), only 13 players are eligible to participate in the 33rd SEA Games. That is, coach Kim Sang-sik needs to renew at least half of the U.22 Vietnam squad to create a generation of players who will play a role in the national team in the next few years.

Dinh Bac is the leading spearhead of U.22 Vietnam?

However, Mr. Kim soon saw the reality by sharing: "Young Vietnamese players have very few opportunities to show themselves in the V-League". When he was in office, former coach Philippe Troussier of the Vietnamese national team emphasized: "Vietnamese players, especially young talents, need to play at least 40 to 50 matches per year. At the same time, the national championship system should last 10 months a year". Continuous competition frequency is a launching pad for "rough gems" to become "precious gems". It is no coincidence that young U.15 or U.17 Vietnamese players can play on par with opponents from strong football backgrounds. But at the U.20 or U.22 level, those same players are still far ahead of Vietnamese players. The answer lies in the quality of the playing environment, nutrition, physique and training methods. Just a few years of difference is enough for players with the same potential to take completely different paths.

So what opportunities are the U.22 Vietnam players that Mr. Kim Sang-sik is preparing to take care of now given? Among the 13 players participating in the 2024 U.23 Asian Cup who are still old enough to play in this year's SEA Games, they can be divided into 3 groups. The first group includes players who have a starting position in the V-League, including Nguyen Thai Son (11 matches, 990 minutes), Bui Vi Hao (11 matches, 907 minutes) and Khuat Van Khang (10 matches, 703 minutes). The second group includes players who are on the bench or have not played in the V-League, including Nguyen Dinh Bac (9 matches, 554 minutes), Ho Van Cuong (6 matches, 372 minutes), Le Nguyen Hoang (5 matches, 443 minutes), Nguyen Van Truong (10 matches, 482 minutes), Nguyen Hong Phuc (1 match, 63 minutes), Nguyen Manh Hung (has not played). The rest are in the third group, with players currently playing in the first division, including Doan Huy Hoang (Binh Phuoc), Nguyen Duc Phu (PVF-CAND), Nguyen Duc Viet, Nguyen Quoc Viet (Ninh Binh).

Thus, only about 5 to 6 U.22 players (based on the list of players called up for the most recent tournament) are approaching adulthood. The rest, including very familiar names in the continental youth tournament such as Van Truong, Quoc Viet or Dinh Bac, are struggling to find a place. At the 33rd SEA Games, where U.22 Vietnam players are no longer supported by their seniors, their lack of experience is an obstacle for coach Kim Sang-sik's team. Remember, young Indonesian players have experienced themselves at the 2024 AFF Cup (making Vietnam's strongest squad struggle), Thailand also has a new generation of players who were called up early, while Malaysia, Singapore or even Cambodia are not weak. To win the championship, U.22 Vietnam needs more than its current capital.

NEW FACTOR SCREENING

When he first took over the Vietnam national team, coach Kim Sang-sik recalled the old squad, then gradually replaced them with new players selected by himself and his assistants from the V-League. At the national team level, when stability is a priority, Mr. Kim chose a cautious and calculating approach. At the youth level, the purge can come right now.

Besides young talents who have established a position such as Vi Hao, Thai Son, Van Khang or Dinh Bac, the upcoming training session of U.22 Vietnam will have many new faces.

Among them, the goalkeeper duo Tran Trung Kien (10 matches, 900 minutes) and Pham Ly Duc (11 matches, 990 minutes) of HAGL soon caught the attention of Mr. Kim. Although he only played the role of the third reserve goalkeeper of the Vietnamese team, Trung Kien had nearly 2 months of training with his senior to gain experience and prove his potential to coach Kim Sang-sik. As for Ly Duc, a full 11 appearances (never being substituted) and 1 goal made the young player of HAGL become the youngest defender with the most appearances in the V-League.

The choice to promote 4 more players from the HAGL Academy (born from 2005 - 2007) to the first team is part of a radical rejuvenation strategy that HAGL is implementing to further hone the "rough gems" for U.22 Vietnam. Along with the mountain town team, Ha Tinh Club also has a promising overseas Vietnamese midfielder named Viktor Le. The player with mixed Vietnamese and Russian blood has played 9 matches in the V-League this season (3 starting matches). Although he has not yet adapted to the intensity of the V-League, and has not yet perfected his physical condition, at the age of 22, Viktor Le still has "room" to fly high. In addition, there is a "mine" of first-class players from teams such as Ninh Binh, PVF-CAND, Binh Phuoc.

Although the disadvantage of the players playing in the first division is that the environment is less competitive than the V-League, the young stars playing here have more opportunities to compete to maintain their form. Overall, coach Kim Sang-sik has to "pave the sand for gold" to choose a satisfactory U.22 Vietnam team. Difficult, but not impossible.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thay-kim-phai-tro-tai-dai-cat-tim-vang-cho-u22-viet-nam-185250204214545651.htm