From this time until the 33rd SEA Games taking place at the end of the year in Thailand, coach Kim Sang-sik has about 10 months to build a framework for U22 Vietnam, including screening the force, providing professional training and selecting the best and most suitable faces.
In V.League alone, the number of players in the U22 age group is up to nearly 60 people, of which about 30 have regular playing time.
If including the National First Division, the list that coach Kim Sang-sik needs to monitor could double, falling heavily on clubs such as PVF-CAND, Hoa Binh, Tre TPHCM, Ba Ria - Vung Tau...
Currently, some experienced players, who have played for both youth and national teams such as Khuat Van Khang, Ho Van Cuong, Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Thai Son... are considered the core of U22 Vietnam.
Besides, Mr. Kim can also keep an eye on some potential young overseas Vietnamese players, who can partly meet the professional requirements of the coaching staff.
One of them is Viktor Le - a midfielder playing for Hong Linh Ha Tinh club. Before the Lunar New Year, this player received Vietnamese citizenship. Therefore, he is fully qualified to compete at the 33rd SEA Games if selected.
Professionally, Viktor Le was trained at CSKA Moscow (Russia) and spent 3 seasons playing in the V.League with 37 appearances and 1 goal. The 2003-born midfielder's ability to speak Vietnamese and integrate with his Vietnamese teammates has also improved significantly.
Recently, Viktor Le has received the trust of coach Nguyen Thanh Cong. Playing more in V.League will help him gain experience and develop comprehensively.
Another name that also meets the requirements of nationality and age is Andrej Nguyen An Khanh. Although he does not play football in Vietnam, this is not an unfamiliar name. This player once had time to join and practice with U22 Vietnam under coach Philippe Troussier in 2023.
At that time, there were many factors that made Mr. Troussier not choose An Khanh. But after 2 years, the 20-year-old midfielder has changed a lot in both physical condition and expertise, and is also a personnel option that Mr. Kim Sang-sik can consider.
The only disadvantage of An Khanh is that the competition schedule in Europe is different from Vietnam. Therefore, the Korean coach can only call up this player during the FIFA Days (parallel to the national team).
In general, the final decision depends on the head coach. However, the appearance of this overseas Vietnamese couple also partly affirms the diversification of resources of Vietnamese football in the coming period.
