Players have more chances
8 years after the achievement in Changzhou (China), U23 Vietnam has only gone so far in the AFC U23 Championship finals.
A series of victories against strong opponents such as U23 Jordan, U23 UAE, U23 Kyrgyzstan and U23 Saudi Arabia have helped Dinh Bac and his teammates prove their abilities. This is the premise for them to have more opportunities to play in the V.League when reuniting with their parent clubs.
In the current squad of U23 Vietnam, some players have been the "main actors" at the club before making their mark at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Examples include goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Cao Van Binh (Song Lam Nghe An), Nguyen Nhat Minh (Hai Phong), Nguyen Thai Son (Dong A Thanh Hoa - before coming to Ninh Binh), Nguyen Xuan Bac (PVF-CAND), Khuat Van Khang (The Cong Viettel), Viktor Le (Hong Linh Ha Tinh), Nguyen Thanh Nhan (PVF-CAND) or especially Nguyen Dinh Bac (Hanoi Police). Among them, many names have played well in the colors of U23 Vietnam at SEA Games as well as U23 Asian Cup 2026. This further consolidates their position when returning to the managing team.
As for Dinh Bac - the player currently leading the scoring list of U23 Vietnam, coach Mano Polking often gives him opportunities to play, equivalent to foreign players such as Leo Artur, Stephan Mauk, Rogerio Alves or Alan Grafite. Originally, before shining at the SEA Games or U23 Asian Championship, Dinh Bac was a strategic card favored by Mr. Polking. Every time he was brought on the field, the striker born in 2004 created positive turning points for Hanoi Police.
With the class and progress in the past 2 months, Dinh Bac's presence in the main squad of the Police sector team in the near future is not surprising.
Some faces are still standing at the line between main and minor in the plans of the V.League head coaches. Typical examples include Pham Ly Duc (Hanoi Police), Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong (Ho Chi Minh City Police), Nguyen Phi Hoang (SHB Da Nang) or Nguyen Le Phat (Ninh Binh).
The 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals are a great opportunity for this group of players to affirm their potential and qualities in corresponding positions. Based on the determination, striving to compete and the effect that has been and is being built through the continental youth tournament, the above group of players will certainly be interested by coaches Mano Polking, Gerard Albadalejo, Le Huynh Duc, Le Duc Tuan and create more opportunities to play in phase 2 of V.League 2025-2026.
V.League is excited again
As an unwritten rule, after Vietnamese teams achieve good results in regional and continental leagues, the V.League will benefit from more attention from fans. A year ago, when the Vietnamese team regained the Southeast Asian championship after 6 years, the audience effect in the V.League also increased.
The teams that attracted the most attention at that time were Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Hai Phong. Because, at that time, the phenomenon of Nguyen Xuan Son, Doan Ngoc Tan and Nguyen Dinh Trieu attracted more attention from fans of many different age groups.
8 years ago, when U23 Vietnam won the runner-up position at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, the number of spectators coming to the stadium to watch the V.League increased many times compared to the previous season. Young and female fans increased significantly thanks to the appeal of the generation of Cong Phuong, Quang Hai, Tien Dung, Duc Chinh or Dinh Trong.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club and Hanoi are the two teams that benefited the most after the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, when the number of followers on social networks as well as the number of fans coming to the stadium increased many times in just a short time.
The success of U23 Vietnam at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals promises to make the V.League more exciting. Right from the present moment, many young fans have begun to pay attention and create a fever through social networks, revolving around some key players of U23 Vietnam such as: Dinh Bac, Trung Kien, Thai Son, Le Phat, Minh Phuc.
True to nature", the movements of these players at the V.League club will continue to be exploited by the media and social networks, creating more public interest in the coming time. This is an opportunity for V.League to affirm its attractiveness in phase 2 of the season as well as in the following years.
