Efforts but not enough
It was not until the evening of October 25, more than 3 months from Bulgaria to Vietnam, that Tran Thanh Trung (Chung Nguyen Do) was given the opportunity to start at Ninh Binh club.
The overseas Vietnamese midfielder also created another memorable milestone in his first appearance in the starting lineup, which was a delicate assist for Daniel Da Silva to increase the score to 2-1 for the ancient capital team.
Against opponent PVF-CAND, Tran Thanh Trung played for about 60 minutes. Although he appreciated his student's efforts, coach Gerard Albadalejo still could not believe that he was fit enough to play the whole match.
This story previously took place in Ninh Binh as well as U22 Vietnam. Thanh Trung's adaptation to weather conditions in Vietnam does not seem to be as fast as expected. His endurance and fitness are still quite modest. Not to mention, Thanh Trung has only recovered from a groin injury a month ago.
Unvisionally, Ninh Binh's young talent is at a disadvantage in competing for a place to participate in the 33rd SEA Games with U22 Vietnam. Remember, in the central midfield position, coach Kim Sang-sik has more options for physical strength, strength and technique.
They have also been given the opportunity to play quite often in the V.League and National First Division in the last 2 years, singing for Van Truong (Hanoi), Thai Son (Thanh Hoa), Xuan Bac (PVF-CAND)... Even when the Vietnam U22 coaching staff "banned" them from participating in the 33rd SEA Games, Thanh Trung's ability to become the main double could not be predicted.
Looking at the two friendly matches with U22 Qatar in mid-October, it must be admitted that the contribution of this overseas Vietnamese player has only stopped at the level of efficiency.
fierce competition
Compared to Tran Thanh Trung, left winger Vadim Nguyen has performed better at both the club and U22 Vietnam.
In his first training session with the national youth team in October, he showed good integration. Vadim left quite a mark from his overlapping and delicate passing situations for his teammates in the friendly match with U22 Qatar.
In V.League 2025-2026, Vadim Nguyen is also one of the important highlights in SHB Da Nang's playing style despite the team's not having a smooth start. His dynamism and liveliness opened up opportunities for coach Le Duc Tuan to attack on the left wing.
However, objectively, Vadim Nguyen will face fierce competition for the left striker position of U22 Vietnam. Viktor Le and Dinh Bac are the top priorities of Mr. Kim Sang Sik.
In addition, Bui Vi Hao's timely return significantly narrowed Vadim Nguyen's chances. Limited defensive ability also makes it difficult for this player to compete with Phi Hoang or Bao Long
The motivation for Thanh Trung and Vadim Nguyen is that the preparation time for the 33rd SEA Games is still more than 1 month away. U22 Vietnam also had another rehearsal in mid-November when participating in the international tournament in China.
Through 3 matches against top continental opponents such as Uzbekistan, South Korea and host China, the U22 Vietnam coaching staff will select 23 players to participate in the Southeast Asian Games. This will be the last opportunity for overseas Vietnamese players to assert themselves, thereby winning a position in coach Kim Sang-sik's competition plan.
For the Korean coach, he still actively follows matches in the V.League to select players with the most suitable form and physical foundation for the U22 Vietnam team. With still hope, Vadim Nguyen and Tran Thanh Trung need to try harder...
