Whether or not central defender Ly Duc will be able to play much in the new shirt is a question mark - Photo: A.KHOA
Because when returning to their home clubs, many U23 players have to sit on the bench for a long time or have little chance to play. Will the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship be a boost for them to play more?
Mr. Kim's optimism
The question is because Khuat Van Khang, Dinh Bac, Quoc Viet, Van Truong, Thai Son, Pham Ly Duc or goalkeeper Trung Kien are not the real stars of the country's football. However, the U23 players still bring optimism to coach Kim Sang Sik if they are given more opportunities to play.
In addition to the above names, coach Kim Sang Sik also highly appreciated the ability and development potential of central defender Hieu Minh, defender Phi Hoang, midfielder Xuan Bac and Cong Phuong.
Not only did Hieu Minh defend well, he also scored a double in the match against U23 Laos. Phi Hoang was the player who created the most goals for U23 Vietnam on the left wing. Xuan Bac shone in the midfield and scored the decisive goal against U23 Philippines in the semi-finals. 19-year-old player Cong Phuong scored the only goal against Indonesia to bring U23 Vietnam to the championship.
Evaluating his players after the tournament, coach Kim Sang Sik said: "I always believe that young players can develop dramatically in a short period of time if they play regularly. If Cong Phuong or Van Thuan are allowed to play regularly in the V-League, I believe the Vietnamese national team will be significantly stronger."
Is reality a dream?
Immediately after winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, Coach Kim Sang Sik immediately started preparing for the 2026 Asian U23 qualifiers in September and the 33rd SEA Games at the end of the year. Mr. Kim will start recruiting players when the V-League and the 2025-2026 First Division start. The problem is whether the old players as well as the new factors will have many opportunities to play or not.
Players who may have a lot of playing time in the new 2025-2026 season include Dinh Bac (Hanoi Police), Nguyen Van Truong (Hanoi Club), Khuat Van Khang (The Cong - Viettel), goalkeeper Trung Kien (HAGL), Thai Son, Le Van Thuan, Ngoc My (Thanh Hoa), Nhat Minh (Hai Phong), Hieu Minh, Xuan Bac (PVF-CAND), Phi Hoang, Duc Anh (SHB Da Nang)... But many other U23 players are uncertain.
Continuously playing in the HAGL squad in V-League 2024-2025 helps center back Pham Ly Duc mature remarkably.
Not only was he given a chance by Mr. Kim Sang Sik in the U23 team but also in the Vietnam national team. But Ly Duc will wear the shirt of the Hanoi Police Club in the new season 2025-2026. Whether this 1m82 tall center back can play much here is a question mark because in a team with many stars like CAHN, the competition is very high.
Coach Kim Sang Sik has a lot to do with the current crop of young players - Photo: DANH KHANG
Difficulties await many U23 players
That is because last season, the former leader of the U23 Vietnam defense, Tran Quang Thinh, who won the U23 Southeast Asia Championship 2022, did not have much time to play when facing stars like Hugo Gomes, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Dinh Trong or Giap Tuan Duong. Quang Thinh recently had to choose to join the Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club to play in the 2025-2026 First Division.
Striker Quoc Viet also faces difficulties when returning to his home club. Because after winning the right to be promoted to V-League, Ninh Binh Club has brought many attacking stars to the squad, especially foreign players. Therefore, Quoc Viet's chances of playing as much as when he was in the First Division 2024-2025 are very difficult.
Cong Phuong, Dang Tuan Phong, Thanh Dat also have difficulty playing much for The Cong - Viettel Club. Last season, Cong Phuong played 15 matches in V-League, but in reality, he only started 2 matches. Center back Dang Tuan Phong played 9 matches (5 starts).
After the 2024-2025 First Division season, Thanh Dat played a lot for Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc Club under a loan contract, but now it is difficult for him to have many opportunities to play when he returns to The Cong - Viettel Club.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cu-hich-cho-cau-thu-tre-viet-2025080208500136.htm
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