Coach Kim Sang-sik will "open" the year of the Snake 2025 with a match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, taking place at Binh Duong Stadium next March.
In fact, the Korean coach started the preparation process shortly after the ASEAN Cup. He searched for new players and checked the performance of old players through matches in the V.League and the National Cup.
The personnel problem with coach Kim Sang-sik needs to be carefully considered and calculated for dual goals, including the national team and U22 Vietnam.
Unlike the two previous times Mr. Park Hang-seo won the SEA Games gold medal (2019, 2022), U22 Vietnam is not allowed to use over-age players according to the regulations of host Thailand at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Therefore, coach Kim Sang-sik needs to prepare his team more thoroughly, even building a generation of players alternating between experienced seniors and many young players to serve the destination of the SEA Games at the end of this year.
Currently, the Korean coach still has many bright names in hand such as Nguyen Thai Son, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac... They all have experience wearing the national team jersey and are soon considered important players of U22 Vietnam.
The V.League front provides many notable young talents such as Nguyen Cong Phuong (The Cong Viettel), Ha Chau Phi, Doan Ngoc Ha, Nguyen Ngoc My (Dong A Thanh Hoa), Nguyen Quang Vinh, Dinh Xuan Tien (Song Lam Nghe An), Le Van Quang Duyet (Quang Nam)...
That’s the theory, but to arrange a squad to serve the “dual” goal is not simple. The failure of predecessor Philippe Troussier shows that young talent still has a huge gap in level compared to their seniors.
Right at the recent Southeast Asian Championship, the Vietnamese team played and exploded relying heavily on some older pillars, especially naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son.
Maintaining achievements without Xuan Son is also a big problem for Vietnamese football at this time. On the contrary, the absence of Xuan Son will create an opportunity for Mr. Kim to freely experiment.
Hopefully, the confidence from the Southeast Asian championship trophy will help coach Kim Sang-sik easily build a new "dynasty" - where the first bricks are formed.
