"We and our team always closely monitor and analyze the expertise of players playing abroad. Thanh Trung is one of the players being monitored. I will evaluate him more carefully in the next training session. We have carefully evaluated the players' abilities before they are called up. I hope U23 Vietnam continues to have good results," said coach Kim Sang Sik.

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Coach Kim Sang Sik revealed that Tran Thanh Trung has been closely monitored by his team for a long time . Photo CO

Previously, Tran Thanh Trung and Victor Le were two overseas Vietnamese players that coach Kim Sang Sik included in the list of 24 U23 Vietnam players preparing for the U23 Asia qualifiers, taking place in Phu Tho in September. However, the new player of Ninh Binh Club received the most attention, because this midfielder had just returned to play in the V-League from Bulgaria. In particular, Tran Thanh Trung's mark at the new club was not much, so the fact that this player was named in the U23 Vietnam list caused many surprises.

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VFF and coach Kim Sang Sik prepare the best conditions for U23 Vietnam. Photo: VFF

In the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers of Group C, VFF has LPBank as its main sponsor. The three opponents of the Southeast Asian U23 champion include Yemen, Singapore and Bangladesh. Group C matches will take place at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) from September 3 to September 9.

After announcing the 24 players of the U23 Vietnam team, coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his hope that his players will continue to receive support from the large number of Vietnamese fans. The Korean coach emphasized that this is the inspiration that helps the U23 Vietnam team aim for victory.

On August 29, U23 Vietnam gathered in Hanoi to prepare for the tournament.

On the afternoon of August 26, VFF and VPF launched the yearbook "25 years of developing professional football in Vietnam". Started in August 2024 and completed in July 2025, this is the result of a serious and elaborate working process with the participation of many experts, managers and collaborators. The book's content outlines the 25-year journey since professional football was born in Vietnam in 2000, reflecting important milestones, positive changes in organization, management, training, competition and the support of businesses and fans.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ly-do-hlv-kim-sang-sik-goi-tran-thanh-trung-cho-u23-viet-nam-2436484.html