Remember from the name
Coach Kim Sang-sik has called up 27 players to the Vietnam national team, preparing for the opening match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (March 25). This figure is equivalent to the force he chose when the home team competed in the ASEAN Cup.
Accordingly, 6 players including Trung Kien, Xuan Manh, Tan Tai, Thanh Long, Xuan Son, Van Toan are not on the list for various reasons.
In those positions, Mr. Kim chose 6 other names: goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet (Song Lam Nghe An), Pham Ly Duc, Tran Bao Toan (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Vo Hoang Minh Khoa (Binh Duong), Nguyen Thai Son (Thanh Hoa), Trieu Viet Hung (Hai Phong).
2 of these 6 faces appeared for the first time in the Vietnam national team. Compared to Vo Hoang Minh Khoa, Pham Ly Duc is not as famous. He has also never had the opportunity to play in an official match of the national youth teams before.
Fans were initially impressed by the 22-year-old centre-back's name. Ly Duc once shared why his parents named him after a famous Vietnamese bodybuilder: "All in the family want me to be as healthy as Ly Duc".
However, when his children were young, he was not outstanding in physical appearance compared to his peers. The Tay Ninh midfielder has only really made a leap forward in height thanks to her efforts in living, following a diet and being professional for a long time.
To date, Ly Duc is 1m82 tall. Among the central defenders called up by coach Kim Sang-sik, he ranked 3rd, after Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Nguyen Thanh Binh (1m84) and ahead of Do Duy Manh (1m81), Bui Tien Dung (1m76).
Witnessing Ly Duc's efforts to improve his height and body, Mr. Guillaume Graechen - his teacher at Nutifood Academy once praised: "He is very aware of exercising and following a diet. Duc always completes all technical exercises and lifestyle and eating habits well that the team of experts advise. Germany's current physical condition is a worthy achievement for those tireless efforts."
Affirming the value of V.League 2024-2025
For V.League 2024-2025 followers in general and Hoang Anh Gia Lai in particular, few people were surprised when Ly Duc caught the eye of coach Kim Sang-sik. Perhaps, some people were surprised when the central defender "jumped" to the Vietnam national team instead of the U22 team.
In terms of expertise, Ly Duc's appearance in the national team is to fill the right-sided center-back position of Pham Xuan Manh - who has been having physical problems recently. In addition, when Do Duy Manh began to show signs of age, the opportunity for Ly Duc to assert himself in the above role became more open.
Importantly, Ly Duc must bring the performance from Hoang Anh Gia Lai to the Vietnam national team.
At the Mountain City team, Ly Duc is a rare player to have played all 15 matches in the V.League so far. Present on the field with a total duration of 1,350, he is an important link in the applied defensive strategy that coach Le Quang Trai is applying.
The central defender from Tay Ninh showed good situation reading ability, stable position choice, and effective ball control. In addition to supporting the home team in "pouring concrete", Ly Duc also left his mark in attack with 1 goal and 1 assist.
It should be emphasized that Ly Duc has had an impressive turning point in his football career in this year's season. Remember, a few months ago, he was still just an unknown player playing for Ba Ria - Vung Tau in the First Division, despite having played 32 times in 2 seasons.
It was not until the 2024 National U21 Finals that he had the opportunity to change his fate. The promising performance that helped U21 Hoang Anh Gia Lai win the tournament helped Ly Duc and 5 other teammates catch the eye of Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh. After that, he quickly became a mainstay of the Pleiku team at this time.
"This is his first season playing in the V.League. At this age, Ly Duc soon showed his personal ability. He is one of the few young players at the moment who can do it. Hopefully Germany will continue to improve, not just a few matches but extend their form until the end of the season", coach Le Quang Trai put his trust in his student.
