Challenge for U.22 Vietnam
Yesterday (January 25), the SEA Games 33 organizing committee approved a rule allowing only U.22 players (expected to be born from January 1, 2003 onwards) to participate in men’s soccer. This means that football teams, including U.22 Vietnam, can only use a pure squad consisting of players under 23 years old. There will be no way to use 2 to 3 over-aged players like before.
The rules of the game at SEA Games 33 outline no small challenges for U.22 Vietnam, especially when looking at the long history, it is not difficult to realize that both gold medals of Vietnamese football have a great impression from the players. Overage players in the squad.
Bui Vi Hao in the U.22 Vietnam shirt
At SEA Games 30, the organizing committee allows each team to register 2 overage players. Coach Park Hang-seo took advantage of the opportunity to register Do Hung Dung and Nguyen Trong Hoang on the list. This is the correct decision, as the two veterans both played very stably and experienced, contributing greatly to the championship journey with unbeaten results of U.22 Vietnam. Hung Dung became the midfield boss, supporting Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Duc Chien. Trong Hoang is a persistent striker in the right corridor, freeing up space for young strikers like Ha Duc Chinh and Nguyen Tien Linh.
At SEA Games 31, when playing host, Vietnam allowed each team to register 3 overage players. This time, Mr. Park’s choices are Hung Dung, Hoang Duc and Tien Linh. Once again, this is a wise choice as the veterans not only create maturity and science in the playing style, but also score important goals. For example, Hung Dung scored a goal against Myanmar in the group stage. Then, he assisted Tien Linh’s header against Malaysia in extra time in the semi-finals.
In tournaments where overage players are not allowed (since SEA Games men’s soccer is a story of youth teams, not national teams), U.22 Vietnam has never won a gold medal. Even reaching the final is a difficult task. At SEA Games 32 (2023), coach Philippe Troussier’s U.22 Vietnam only won bronze, equal to the achievement at SEA Games 28 (2015) of coach Toshiya Miura. Or at SEA Games 29 (2017), U.22 Vietnam was eliminated in the group stage despite starting with a group of quality players.
Self-reliance
Of course, the challenge at SEA Games 33 is “difficult for others, difficult for us”. All teams will fight with a purely young squad. Without their seniors as a fulcrum, young players must stand on their own feet, hone their competitive spirit and tactical discipline to overcome the dense competition at the SEA Games.
How does coach Kim Sang-sik train the youth?
Coach Kim Sang-sik has a generation of potential in his hands, with names he has chosen to promote to the Vietnamese team such as Bui Vi Hao, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Trung Kien, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Van Truong… These are all players who have more or less appeared in the V-League, or once shined at the youth level.
However, it is necessary to recognize the reality that, except for Thai Son and Vi Hao, the remaining young players have not had enough 30 matches in the V-League. Some players who have only recently emerged, such as Dinh Bac or Trung Kien, need more time for “rough pearls” to become “fine pearls”. The bravery, experience and ability to adjust psychology of these stars are still question marks.
Coach Kim Sang-sik hardly expects these players to play regularly. Because how to use young players is the strategy of each team. The Korean military leader can only take advantage of each gathering to intertwine the young generation with the seniors, to help the “young shoots” understand what it takes to become true stars. U.22 Vietnam will also have useful training trips this year, firstly participating in an international friendly tournament in China next March to sharpen themselves.
Having to be “self-reliant” at SEA Games 33 is also… a good thing for U.22 Vietnam. Mr. Kim will have the most accurate basis to evaluate his students’ abilities. Such high-dose tests are needed for young players to advance to the next level.
