New momentum from U.22 Vietnam's midfield

Dream of SEA Games 33 Gold Medal

Two years ago, at the 32nd SEA Games, the U.22 Vietnam team coached by Mr. Troussier had quite a few attacking midfielders who played technically such as Khuat Van Khang, Le Van Do, Huynh Cong Den, Dinh Xuan Tien... but lacked a midfielder who specialized in ball recovery and defensive duties from a distance. That was the reason why the team was very fragile in its ability to intercept. Every time the opponent counterattacked, we easily conceded a goal because their players did not encounter obstacles from defensive midfielders who specialized in ball recovery.

Currently, U.22 Vietnam under coach Kim Sang-sik has a stronger midfield, more balanced between attack and defense, more harmonious between technical factors and muscle. The U.22 Vietnam team at this time still has attacking midfielders Dinh Xuan Tien and Khuat Van Khang. In addition, Nguyen Van Truong and Vietnamese-American player Andrej Nguyen An Khanh are also expected attacking midfielders, playing with a focus on technique.

Meanwhile, central midfielders Viktor Le (1.78 m), Nguyen Quang Vinh (1.74 m) and Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong (1.73 m) will play as blocking midfielders and defend from a distance. These are all players who play aggressively, are not afraid of collisions, and have good physiques. They are the type of midfielders absent from the U.22 Vietnam team at the 32nd SEA Games.

Sức bật mới của hàng tiền vệ U . 22 VN tại SEA Games 33 - Ảnh 1. — The appearance of Viktor Le (11) helps the U.22 Vietnam midfield to be more balanced.

In addition, in the 22-year-old age group, Vietnamese football also has central midfielder Nguyen Thai Son, who is currently playing for the national team, and will be added to the U.22 Vietnam team at the 33rd SEA Games and the U.23 Asian qualifiers taking place in 2025.

Practice defense first, attack later

From March 20 to 25, the U.22 Vietnam team will participate in an international friendly tournament in Jiangsu (China) with the host U.22 China, South Korea and Uzbekistan. These teams are all stronger than us. Therefore, this tournament will help the U.22 Vietnam team practice defense and fortitude to withstand the pressure of stronger teams.

Then, the closer to the 33rd SEA Games (taking place from December 9 to 20), the level of competition for U.22 Vietnam will gradually decrease. Explaining the story of competing with strong teams first and weaker teams later, former VFF Vice President Duong Vu Lam said: "Playing friendly matches with strong teams far from the tournament is to help players improve their professional quality, increase their endurance and increase their bravery, helping them get used to the tense atmosphere in international matches. But the closer to the official tournament, the friendlies must be weaker than us, because that is the stage of assembling the team, practicing the ability to attack. Having to compete with weaker teams will help them attack more, making it easier to assemble the team".

This is the formula that created success for the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024. Before the 33rd SEA Games, the U.22 Vietnamese team will repeat this journey, hoping to win the gold medal, like their seniors did.

Source: https://archive.vietnam.vn/suc-bat-moi-tu-hang-tien-ve-u-22-viet-nam/