Many pillars are not present
13 out of 26 names who once won the ASEAN Cup 2024 with the Vietnamese national team did not appear in coach Kim Sang-sik's summons list. Goalkeeper Dinh Trieu, center-back Bui Tien Dung, midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan or forwards Tien Linh, Tuan Hai... are all absent.
Nguyen Dinh Trieu is the best goalkeeper of ASEAN Cup 2024. He is still often present in the gatherings of the Vietnamese team in 2025 and early 2026. However, compared to the impressive form from Patrik Le Giang (Ho Chi Minh City Police) or Dang Van Lam (Ninh Binh Dinh), Trieu is really unlikely to get into coach Kim's plan.
In the defense, Vu Van Thanh, Ho Tan Tai, Bui Tien Dung... all had problems with injuries or physical condition over the past 1 year. Giving way to Le Van Do, Phan Tuan Tai, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Le Ngoc Bao is also not surprising.
The appearance of Dinh Quang Kiet - a young center-back 1m95 tall is mostly for the purpose of preparing for the future, as he is capable of participating in U23 Vietnam at the SEA Games and the upcoming U23 Asian Championship finals.
The story in the forward line is similar. Tuan Hai and Tien Linh both experienced an unsuccessful season with poor scoring efficiency. Meanwhile, attacking options such as Nguyen Tai Loc (Geovane), Nguyen Dinh Bac, Do Hoang Hen, Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong or Nguyen Xuan Son are more or less competitive.
If there is a regret, it is the absence of Doan Ngoc Tan. The 31-year-old "sweeper" still operates persistently and promotes value in Thanh Hoa's colors, contributing to helping the team successfully avoid relegation. However, he could not have his 2nd consecutive ASEAN Cup in his career.
Can say goodbye to the talented generation of players
The Vietnamese national team list also does not include Van Toan. This almost closes a commemorative chapter for the first generation of players who grew up from Hoang Anh Gia Lai - JMG Academy.
Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Hong Duy have long disappeared from the Vietnamese national team. Van Thanh, Ngoc Quang and Van Toan are also outside coach Kim Sang-sik's personnel plan.
Minh Vuong - the outstanding face of the National First Division League 2025-2026 is also not a strategic calculation of the coaching staff. All of this once brought joy when watching football for fans in 2014.
Many of their names are the core of the U23 and national team throughout 2015 to 2021, with the runner-up of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, top 4 of the 2018 ASIAD, champion of the 2018 ASEAN Cup, quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup and the journey to the 3rd round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers...
However, at the age of 30-31, they have to give way to their younger generation. At Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Tran Trung Kien or Dinh Quang Kiet are names following in the footsteps of their seniors. More broadly, Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Hai Long, Nhat Minh, Ngo Dang Khoa, Ngoc My, Gia Hung play the role of successors at the national team level.
Of course, the Vietnamese team still has "timeless" pillars. Do Duy Manh or Dang Van Lam are typical names.
The U19 Vietnam team that once revived the love of football among domestic fans more than a decade ago still has a persistent Duy Manh.
Despite facing many challenges due to competition from a series of domestic and naturalized goalkeepers, Dang Van Lam - the 2018 ASEAN Cup champion is still present and accompanies the Vietnamese team.
