After U23 Vietnam closed their journey at the Asian tournament, only 12 young players were allowed to play in round 12 of V.League 2025-2026. Notably, most of them did not start and the level of influence was also very different.
In the group of 6 players to start, Tran Trung Kien is the name that left the clearest mark. The goalkeeper of Hoang Anh Gia Lai played solidly for 90 minutes in the match against SHB Da Nang, making a great contribution to helping the Mountain Town team win 1-0.
In addition to Trung Kien, Phi Hoang and Duc Anh on Da Nang's side were also given the opportunity to start, but neither left much of a professional mark.
Meanwhile, Viktor Le, trusted by Hong Linh Ha Tinh, started from the beginning but did not play outstandingly against Becamex TPHCM and was substituted out after halftime.
Also starting in this round, goalkeeper Cao Van Binh could not help Song Lam Nghe An avoid a 1-3 defeat to Hanoi FC. However, the responsibility does not entirely lie with the young goalkeeper when the Nghe team's defense system revealed too many gaps.
Another bright spot is Nguyen Ngoc My. The midfielder of Dong A Thanh Hoa played fully in the 2-2 draw with Nam Dinh. Notably, he had a difficult cross in the 2nd half that caused Duong Thanh Hao to score an own goal, bringing 1 important point for the Thanh team.
In addition to the 6 starting names, 6 other U23 Vietnam players were only brought on from the bench.
At Lach Tray Stadium, Nhat Minh and Khuat Van Khang respectively entered the field in the 2nd half of the match between Hai Phong and The Cong Viettel. Although not creating a big difference, Khuat Van Khang still managed to leave his mark with a free kick that hit the crossbar.
At PVF stadium, Thanh Nhan, Xuan Bac and Vo Anh Quan were expected to help PVF-CAND reverse the situation against CA TPHCM, but the efforts of this trio were not enough. Quoc Cuong also only appeared in the last few minutes of the match, not in time to make an impact on the match.
Notably, in the Hanoi Police and Ninh Binh match, many U23 players were not used such as Ly Duc (Hanoi Police), Van Thuan, Quoc Viet (Ninh Binh). Dinh Bac was brought on in the 2nd half, while Thai Son had to leave the field early due to a ligament rupture injury.
After more than two months of straining for the SEA Games and the AFC U23 Championship, U23 Vietnam players need more time to recover, regain their competitive rhythm and compete fairly in the V.League.
