Viktor Le exploded: U.22 Vietnam is happy, but... take it slow

Viktor Le - a glimmer of light

Sharing with Thanh Nien Newspaper, Coach Kim Sang-sik once affirmed that he would diligently go to the stadium to watch the performance of young players, emphasizing the generation of players born in 2003 and 2004. Because he affirmed that this is the future of Vietnamese football. However, even though Coach Kim often goes to the stadium, it is probably difficult for him to evaluate his students. Because simply, apart from Viktor Le, most of the remaining players do not have a place.

Viktor Le (Ha Tinh Club), Nguyen Thai Son (Thanh Hoa) and Tran Trung Kien (HAGL) are the rare U.22 players who are still playing regularly. Another U.22 star that is expected is Bui Vi Hao (Binh Duong) who is recovering from an injury, along with Pham Ly Duc (HAGL) and Nguyen Dinh Bac (Hanoi Police Club). Most of the remaining U.22 members are on the bench or playing in the first division.

Viktor Lê bùng nổ: U.22 Việt Nam vui đấy, nhưng... cứ từ từ- Ảnh 1. — Viktor Le (white shirt) is a new discovery of Vietnamese youth football.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Viktor Le is receiving special attention. He is a rare "rough diamond" who is given the opportunity. First of all, because of coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's philosophy of valuing young people. But more importantly, Viktor Le himself has shown that he is worthy of a starting position. Last season, the midfielder with Vietnamese-Russian blood played 14 matches (6 as a starter). This season, although there are still 7 more rounds of the tournament, Viktor Le has played 17 matches (9 as a starter) and made more impressions.

In the match against HAGL yesterday (April 18), Viktor Le was the author of a pass from the left wing for Mbo Noel to score. Despite being closely followed by the opponent, the midfielder born in 2003 still crossed the ball with spin and roll, causing the opponent to misjudge the landing point. Before the end of the first half, Viktor Le almost scored a masterpiece. His beautiful long-range shot defeated young goalkeeper Trung Kien, but the crossbar denied the goal.

Viktor Le has shown his quintessence, helping him to be expected at both Ha Tinh Club and U.22 Vietnam. The 22-year-old player is assigned to play as a left-sided attacking midfielder, but instead of being constrained, he moves very wide to connect the play, rushing into hot spots. Having been trained in Russia, Viktor Le has a modern football mindset when handling the ball neatly and quickly. He is also especially active in off-ball situations, when he is not afraid to fight one-on-one despite his thin physique.

Advice from Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong

However, Viktor Le still has weaknesses. Although he has played 17 matches since the beginning of the tournament, Viktor Le's actual playing minutes are only 877 minutes. That means he plays an average of 51.5 minutes per match.

The former Binh Dinh midfielder has only played 90 minutes in one match this season, the same as last season. The average number of minutes per match is more than in the 2023-2024 season (51.5 compared to 42.7), but this is only the first step, slow and requiring tolerance and waiting.

Viktor Lê bùng nổ: U.22 Việt Nam vui đấy, nhưng... cứ từ từ- Ảnh 2. — Young players like Viktor Le always need humility.

"I have 17 years of experience in youth training, so I understand their psychology very well. Maybe, I am somewhat patient and tolerant with young players like Viktor Le. In addition, we must also mention his desire to change himself. Viktor Le has improved a bit compared to when he was at Binh Dinh.

I only dare to say 'a little', because young players need to take steady steps. I don't want them to develop too quickly. Pressure from the media and public opinion is inevitable. I often talk to Viktor Le privately, giving him a few compliments to motivate him. I limit the praise as much as possible," coach Nguyen Thanh Cong shared.

The Ha Tinh coach has a more moderate view, and that is the necessary moderation to protect the players from complacency. Viktor Le has potential, but that is just the limit. In terms of minutes, he is still inferior to Thai Son, Vi Hao, Trung Kien. In terms of ability, Viktor Le is okay compared to the U.22 level, but still lacking a lot.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is still closely monitoring the young player's development. However, he will wait for more. Viktor Le has a good foundation and needs to continue to make efforts.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/viktor-le-bung-no-u22-viet-nam-vui-day-nhung-cu-tu-tu-185250419173113107.htm