Captain's Voice
Over the past 10 years, the Vietnam National Team has changed many coaches, the captaincy has also been given to a number of faces, but the dressing room has never lacked the voice of a leader. In turn, Le Cong Vinh, Nguyen Van Quyet, Que Ngoc Hai and then Do Hung Dung have always lifted the spirit of the whole team. They may not be the best players in every match, but every time they take the field, the spirit of these leaders is always a support for their teammates to have the motivation to face challenges.
However, in the training camp to prepare for the AFF Cup 2024 (newly named ASEAN Cup), the above-mentioned faces are no longer present in the Vietnam National Team. Van Quyet just announced his retirement from the national team 1 month ago. Most recently, the list of 30 players summoned by coach Kim Sang-sik also did not include Que Ngoc Hai and Do Hung Dung.
The reason given was that both veterans were physically declining as they were going through the decline of their careers. V.League followers often agreed with Mr. Kim's decision, as they clearly saw the lack of energy from Ngoc Hai and Hung Dung.
From a professional perspective, there is nothing to argue about coach Kim Sang-sik not choosing Que Ngoc Hai and Do Hung Dung, but the absence of these two players will also cause the locker room and the Vietnamese team to lack encouraging voices and motivation for their teammates.
Many captains, but...
The players, assistants, and logistics of the Vietnam National Team have all become accustomed to the applause and strong voices of Hung Dung and Ngoc Hai over the past half decade. The image of Ngoc Hai rushing towards Dang Van Lam to encourage him after his mistake, which caused his team to concede a goal against the Russian Team 2 months ago, further enhances the leadership value of this central defender.
It is worth mentioning that not all members of the Vietnam National Team play the role of spiritual support as well as Ngoc Hai or Hung Dung.
According to statistics, the list of 30 players of the Vietnam National Team has about 10 people who have worn the captain's armband at the club level, including Nguyen Quang Hai, Bui Hoang Viet Anh (Hanoi Police), Bui Tien Dung (The Cong Viettel), Nguyen Thanh Chung, Do Duy Manh (Hanoi FC), Ho Tan Tai, Nguyen Tien (Binh Duong), Doan Ngoc Tan (Thanh Hoa), Nguyen Hoang Duc, Dang Van Lam (Phu Dong Ninh Binh).
They themselves also hold positions in the Vietnam National Team Executive Committee at certain stages. However, not everyone on the above list has enough influence and experience to do this job well in creating trust and a weighty voice in the national team, both in activities and competitions.
According to insiders, Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, and Van Lam are quiet captains who often express themselves through actions rather than sharing. Meanwhile, Duy Manh and Tien Dung are players who create trust in many aspects, but problems with injuries and physical strength make it uncertain whether they can reach the end of the journey with the Vietnam National Team at the AFF Cup.
Thanh Chung, Viet Anh and Tien Linh are very enthusiastic in urging their teammates and also enthusiastically contributing ideas in the locker room. However, the authority in the voices of all three still needs time to be perfected, creating "weight" for the teammates around them. In addition, Doan Ngoc Tan, although the captain of Thanh Hoa club, is only a rookie of the Vietnam National Team, with modest experience compared to the rest.
