After Adou Minh, Kyle Colonna is the next overseas Vietnamese player to complete the naturalization procedures, thereby opening up the possibility of being considered by coach Kim Sang-sik for the Vietnamese team if they fully meet the international competition conditions.
Kyle Colonna has an American father and a Vietnamese-Chinese mother. This center-back is about 1m90 tall and has repeatedly expressed his desire to become a Vietnamese citizen since coming to play in the V.League.
The player born in 1999 joined The Cong Viettel and quickly became one of the important choices in defense. Kyle Colonna is highly appreciated for his good physique, tackling ability and relatively calm playing style.
In the previous season, the Vietnamese-American center-back started more than 20 times for The Cong Viettel, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist. His defensive stats are also quite impressive, averaging 10.8 ball recovery times, 1.8 clearances, 6.5 tackles and 2.4 aerial duels per game.
Stepping into the new season, Kyle Colonna continued to be given a starting spot by coach Velizar Popov in the first two rounds. In the opening match against Dong Nai, he scored in a 2-0 victory and was scored 8.6 points.
Kyle Colonna's naturalization as a Vietnamese national helps the Vietnamese national team have another option for the center-back position. In the context that the national team is aiming for important tournaments, the appearance of a player with experience playing in the V.League may bring more options for coach Kim Sang-sik.
However, becoming a Vietnamese citizen does not mean that Kyle Colonna is naturally eligible to wear the Vietnamese national team jersey. This center-back still needs to meet FIFA regulations on playing for a national team.
