Opportunity for new recruits?
The Vietnam team is preparing for the international friendly match with Cambodia on March 19 and the match against the Laos team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on March 25 in Binh Duong. Coach Kim Sang-sik is facing a big challenge when building the squad for these two matches. Some key players are absent due to injury, while some players are overloaded and need time to recover their fitness.
According to Lao Dong, since the beginning of the Vietnam National Team's training session in Binh Duong, there have been continuous cases of physical problems and having to take a break from training such as Nguyen Tien Linh, Dinh Thanh Binh, Nguyen Quang Hai, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Nguyen Hai Long or goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu. Among these, players such as Tien Linh, Thanh Binh, Quang Hai have been able to return to training. Center back Viet Anh suffered a relapse of his knee injury and had to return to the club for treatment. Goalkeeper Dinh Trieu and midfielder Hai Long have not returned and are waiting for the final conclusion from the team of doctors.
According to Lao Dong, goalkeeper Dinh Trieu will not be able to return in time for the match against Cambodia, and the possibility of this "goalkeeper" playing against Laos is still uncertain.
However, the team still has reliable pillars. Quang Hai, Doan Ngoc Tan, Thanh Chung, Van Thanh will be important names in the squad. Quang Hai continues to play a key role in the midfield while Thanh Chung and Van Thanh are a solid wall in the defense.
Choosing the starting goalkeeper for the Vietnam National Team in the upcoming 2 matches is also a rather urgent issue for coach Kim Sang-sik. This can be considered an opportunity for young goalkeepers such as Van Viet and Trung Kien to demonstrate their abilities in the national team jersey.
The friendly match with Cambodia will be an opportunity to test young players and new recruits. A new factor that is also predicted to be tested by coach Kim Sang-sik in the match against Laos is Pham Ly Duc - a young central defender who is making great progress in the Hoang Anh Gia Lai shirt. Binh Duong's player duo Minh Khoa and Vi Hao are also predicted to be able to play in the match against Cambodia.
The match against Cambodia can be considered a rehearsal, testing the performance of the players so that coach Kim Sang-sik can choose the main squad to ensure stability and strength when facing Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Prioritizing human resource quality
In preparation for the upcoming matches, coach Kim Sang-sik asked the team to practice at high intensity but not to overload. The players are still playing in the V.League, so maintaining their form is very important. Therefore, coach Kim Sang-sik has come up with a reasonable training plan to ensure that the players can achieve optimal fitness without injury.
The team practices one to two sessions per day. During the morning training session, the team focuses on physical exercises such as endurance and speed in the harsh weather in Binh Duong, in the afternoon they will practice tactics. This method helps maintain physical strength without overloading players.
In addition to physical training, coach Kim also focuses on tactical and technical factors. The team will perfect the ability to connect between lines, deploy attack and defense. Young players and new recruits will have the opportunity to try their hand and integrate into the team's overall play. Especially for players who do not have much international experience, this is an opportunity for them to prove their ability and willingness to join the main squad.
Although practicing at high intensity in the hot weather in Binh Duong, coach Kim Sang-sik especially focuses on avoiding muscle overload. The team's goal is not to push the intensity up too high before the match but to keep their physical condition stable, avoid injuries and achieve the best form for important matches.
