Find captain for U.23 Vietnam
Besides the human frame and tactics, finding a captain is also an important move for coach Kim Sang-sik to shape the color and personality of U.23 Vietnam.
The role of captain is always very important in football. At the AFF Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik appointed central defender Do Duy Manh as captain of the Vietnamese team, because of his passion, extensive playing experience and ability to unite teammates.
U.23 Vietnam beat U.23 Taiwan in the rematch with a score of 2-1 - PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Duy Manh has shown himself at important moments, such as when he encouraged the players to continue to focus on the game, avoiding getting into arguments in the second leg of the final against Thailand after losing due to Supachok Sarachat's unfair play situation. Duy Manh was also very calm when facing provocations from Thai players, or he was once assigned by coach Kim Sang-sik to restrain the "hot" head of Nguyen Thanh Chung.
A strong mentality is the core quality that makes a good captain. For example, in the Vietnam team, coach Kim Sang-sik needed 5 months of work to choose Duy Manh. The Korean coach wanted to observe the performance, attitude in training, interaction with teammates and the process of revealing the personality of his students to "decide" who was worthy of wearing the captain's armband.
In the 5-0 victory over U.23 Taiwan (date) 2.7), Coach Kim Sang-sik appointed midfielder Nguyen Van Truong as captain in the first half and Viktor Le as captain in the second half. When the two teams played again on July 4 (U.23 Vietnam won with a score of 2-1), it was Khuat Van Khang's turn to play captain.
What is special is that all three of Mr. Kim's players scored while wearing the captain's armband. Van Truong and Viktor Le scored in the 5-0 win, while Van Khang scored from a free kick in the 2-1 win in the rematch.
The captain's armband becomes a "mental doping" for players to play more confidently, be more responsible, work harder to encourage their spirit and interact with their teammates more. For Van Truong and Viktor Le, the captain's armband becomes even more special.
Viktor Le wore the captain's armband in the 5-0 win over U.23 Taiwan on July 2 - PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Van Truong has gone through a storm when he was disciplined by coach Hoang Anh Tuan at the 2023 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament. He affirmed that it was a lesson to become more mature.
Van Truong started his youth career in 2022, when he played for the U.23 Vietnam team in the U.23 Asian Cup at the age of 19. After 4 years of struggling with many setbacks, the young player from Hanoi needs to show maturity to build a foundation of trust with coach Kim, thereby joining the Vietnam national team in the near future.
For a Vietnamese-American player who is not yet fluent in Vietnamese like Viktor Le, the captaincy is a recognition. The Ha Tinh player wore the U.23 Vietnam jersey in March, and it only took him 4 months to make a strong impression. Besides his professional mark, Viktor Le is trying to integrate into the team.
Khuat Van Khang opens the door
However, among the U.23 players, Van Khang is the most "bright" player to wear the captain's armband. The talent born in 2003 has played for Vietnam's youth teams for 8 years, from U.15 in 2017 until now.
Van Khang wears the captain's armband in the rematch - PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Van Khang is also one of the earliest U.23 players to join the national team, making his debut in September 2022 in a friendly match against Singapore (Vietnam won 4-0). He even scored in his first match for the Vietnamese national team. With 20 appearances for the Vietnamese national team and an important role at The Cong Viettel , Van Khang has experience that surpasses the average of U.23 Vietnam.
Van Khang also wore the captain's armband of the U.20 Vietnam team in Southeast Asian and Asian tournaments. As a versatile player (can play as a central midfielder, fullback, or winger), Van Khang is "small but mighty", always playing fiercely with great enthusiasm. Van Khang's perseverance, tenacity, and prestige with the U.23 Vietnam team are also the basis for the 22-year-old midfielder to be selected.
Coach Kim Sang-sik will soon "finalize" the leader for U.23 Vietnam next week.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-san-thu-linh-cho-u23-viet-nam-ung-vien-bat-ngo-viktor-le-185250705083454348.htm
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