U22 Vietnam has left for Thailand to prepare for the group stage of the 33rd SEA Games men's football tournament. Due to the impact of storms and floods in Songkhla, the organizing committee moved the competition venue to Rajamangala National Stadium (Bangkok) to ensure safety.
The match schedule of U22 Vietnam has also changed. Accordingly, the opening match against U22 Laos will take place on December 3, one day earlier than the original plan. This has been a familiar opponent for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team for more than a year, including various tournaments such as the ASEAN Cup, the Asian Cup qualifiers and now the 33rd SEA Games.
At the end of the first match, U22 Vietnam has about 1 week to recover their physical strength and prepare for the second match against U22 Malaysia, taking place on December 11. This match is of great importance and will decide the ticket to the next round for both teams.
If they get good results, U22 Vietnam will compete in the semi-finals and finals on December 15 and 18, both held at Rajamangala Stadium.
Regarding the list of players participating in the 33rd SEA Games, before the team left, coach Kim Sang-sik removed the names of 5 players including Le Van Ha, Dinh Quang Kiet, Bui Vi Hao, Tran Thanh Trung and Nguyen Duc Viet.
The captain of U22 Vietnam is midfielder Khuat Van Khang. He is one of the few players with extensive international experience in the squad, even playing for the national team. Meanwhile, the vice-captain is striker Nguyen Dinh Bac - one of the key players in the attack.
