New squad
From the ASEAN Cup 2024 championship to the present, coach Kim Sang-sik has gradually changed the Vietnamese national team's squad. That is not an immediate team rejuvenation revolution like his predecessor Philippe Troussier.
Instead, the Korean strategist brought some capable players, in high form and suitable for tactics into each team gathering.
Names like Dinh Bac, Hoang Hen, Viet Cuong, Gia Hung... are not unfamiliar to football fans. Although, this is only the first ASEAN Cup they have experienced in their football career.
Surely in the upcoming matches against Timor Leste, Singapore, Indonesia or Cambodia, fans will see the Vietnamese team present a new squad compared to 2 years ago.
Of course, coach Kim Sang-sik still gives opportunities to brand new names, who are joining the Vietnamese national team for the first time in their careers. They are striker Nguyen Ngoc My, naturalized player Nguyen Tai Loc, overseas Vietnamese striker Ngo Dang Khoa or goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik.
Their appearance both brings an attraction to the Vietnamese team in the media and is capable of creating a quality force competition towards the ASEAN Cup 2026.
Competitive enough
In the rookie group, Nguyen Ngoc My will find it difficult to win a starting spot or a strategic reserve position. It must be admitted that the role of left winger that Ngoc My played well at Thanh Hoa is currently cramped in the national team.
In the same position as him is Nguyen Dinh Bac - the most outstanding young talent in V.League 2025-2026, when he scored 10 goals in 6 consecutive matches for Hanoi Police. In addition, Khuat Van Khang is also a potential name in this position. Not to mention, two naturalized players Do Hoang Hen or Nguyen Tai Loc are also qualified enough to undertake the task.
Let's talk about Nguyen Tai Loc again. Although he has only been training with the Vietnamese team for the first few days, he has quickly proven his ability. Many Vietnamese players such as Tien Anh, Hoang Duc, Ngoc Bao or Quang Hai also understand the advantages and playing style of this striker.
Tai Loc's advantage partly comes from the appearance of two other Brazilian naturalized strikers, Xuan Son and Hoang Hen. Thanks to that, integrating and getting acquainted with the team is even more favorable for this striker, especially when his Vietnamese proficiency is not really good.
From a professional perspective, coach Kim Sang-sik can create an attacking trident consisting entirely of naturalized faces. Tai Loc and Hoang Hen can play widely in the role of architects for center forward Xuan Son.
Besides, this player is also ready to play as an attacking midfielder, just like the way he performed from Saigon FC before or Ninh Binh now. With a diverse skill set, Tai Loc is a bright name to enter the main squad.
Another face who also has a wide door to play is Patrik Le Giang. After seasons of creating high stability in the goal of Hanoi Police, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Ho Chi Minh City Police, the goalkeeper who grew up in Slovakia is strong enough to compete with Dang Van Lam or Tran Trung Kien.
Le Giang possesses a good foot play ability no less than Nguyen Filip. Besides, he is also good at controlling space in the penalty area, along with an excellent series of saves in the V.League. Regarding this plus point, Le Giang shows that he is on par with Van Lam in his peak period.
With the combination of the 2 overseas Vietnamese goalkeepers mentioned above, Le Giang is capable of convincing assistant Lee Won-jae and head coach Kim Sang-sik.
Finally, there is the case of Viet Kieu player - Ngo Dang Khoa. The disadvantage for this right-footed striker is that he cannot participate in training with the Vietnamese national team in the early days. The injury suffered in the V.League forced Dang Khoa to stay at a hotel to recover. This more or less prevents him from scoring points with coach Kim, especially when he is only a newcomer.
In the upcoming training sessions, Dang Khoa needs to return soon and show himself. That is the only way if he wants to find a strategic reserve position for Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, Hai Long, Tai Loc.
