Creation and inheritance
Coach Troussier was not successful with Vietnamese football. His biggest mark in terms of results was the bronze medal at the 32nd SEA Games.
From a fundamental perspective, Mr. Troussier made efforts to create a future for Vietnamese youth football, even though the way he used people was not suitable for the context of the national team at that time.
Thai Son, Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Van Truong, Van Cuong... are players who are on the border of such controversy. These young talents were trusted by Mr. Troussier and given the opportunity to play for the Vietnam team very early. Thanks to that, their experience and competitive spirit were gradually consolidated.
However, on the other hand, also due to their lack of skills, Thai Son, Dinh Bac or Van Khang somewhere made mistakes leading to the poor results of the Vietnamese team under the French coach.
However, Mr. Troussier also "passed" to coach Kim Sang-sik a ball with a chance to develop into a "goal". Those are some young players who play a foundational role in building a stronger and more solid U22 Vietnam team.
In fact, this has been recognized by the coaches at the club level. Dinh Bac has gradually matured and is currently a strategic reserve player of Mr. Mano Polking at Hanoi Police.
In 4 times coming on as a substitute, the 2004-born striker's versatility helped the police team achieve quite good results in the V.League.
Nguyen Thai Son is also one of the three irreplaceable players of coach Velizar Popov in Thanh Hoa, along with A Mit and Doan Ngoc Tan. The number of 11 starting matches and 990 minutes on the field has proven the importance of Thai Son in the midfield of the Thanh Hoa team at this time.
The same story happened with Khuat Van Khang at The Cong Viettel. From last season until now, the 21-year-old player has been a constant presence in the main squad of this club.
Combine forces
At the ASEAN Cup 2024, Mr. Kim Sang-sik also selected and used Van Khang - one of the excellent students of his predecessor. Meanwhile, Thai Son, Dinh Bac, and Van Truong, although they have not had the opportunity, throughout the preparation period for the tournament, they have been further enriched in their expertise, tactical thinking, and football skills.
The Korean strategist does not deny what Mr. Troussier has worked hard to cultivate for Vietnamese youth football. Simply, Mr. Kim wants to put them in contexts that are appropriate to their abilities, avoiding "forced ripening" that leads to failure and long-term player development.
It will not be surprising if the above players play a key role in the U22 Vietnam team during the FIFA Days in March, June, September and November 2025. Of course, in addition to Van Truong, Thai Son, Dinh Bac, Van Khang... coach Kim Sang-sik needs more manpower to build the squad.
It is known that, up to now, Mr. Kim is holding a list of about 80 players born in 2003 or later, spread from V.League, First Division to overseas Vietnamese factors.
Based on this list, coach Kim Sang-sik and his colleagues are monitoring matches in the two national professional leagues. His goal is to narrow down 30-35 players for the first training session of U22 Vietnam, which will take place early next month.
A favorable point for Mr. Kim Sang-sik is that the V.League and First Division matches are both taking place actively during this period. Professional clubs are also open to using U22 players. This is a document for the coaching staff to screen and evaluate before zoning the force for the Vietnam U22 team in the coming time.
