U.23 Vietnam must have mental endurance
U.23 Vietnam is about to enter the journey to defend the throne at the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, with formidable opponents such as U.23 Thailand, U.23 Indonesia or U.23 Malaysia.
This is also the first tournament for coach Kim Sang-sik with Vietnamese youth football. Coach Kim has won the championship with the national team, but youth football, with its different psychological and tactical characteristics from the national team level, will bring the Korean coach a new experience.
U.23 Vietnam is ready
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
There is always room for surprises in youth football. For example, in 2022, U.23 Vietnam won the championship despite having to "change" the entire squad in each match due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were players who just arrived 2 or 3 hours ago and... put on their shoes and went out to play. However, coach Dinh The Nam and his team still won U.23 Thailand twice.
Vietnamese youth teams have won or drawn with Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, Saudi Arabia... although there is clearly a difference in ability compared to their opponents' football teams.
Unlike the national team, where the level has been established, the youth field still has many surprises because at this age, the players' psychological foundation is not yet solid. The difference in tactics and techniques in youth tournaments is not big and is not the deciding factor in winning or losing. But the competitive mentality, courage, tenacity and alertness to decide the moment... are what make the difference.
Coach Kim Sang-sik announces shortlist for U.23 Vietnam: Young overseas Vietnamese join
How will U.23 Vietnam develop their mettle, when most of Coach Kim Sang-sik's players are still struggling to find a starting position in the V-League and have not yet had a chance to play in the Vietnam national team? That is the problem that Mr. Kim must find the answer from real combat, that is, specific tournaments, instead of just focusing on training.
An expert shared with Thanh Nien Newspaper: "For a long time, when talking about endurance, people only cared about physical strength, that is, physical endurance. However, mental endurance is also very important. Players must maintain a clear mind, be persistent and steadfast from the beginning to the end of the match. If they maintain a clear mind, players will be able to handle situations accurately and make the right decisions under pressure from their opponents."
Dinh Bac chose shirt number 7 in U.23 Vietnam
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Coach Kim Sang-sik has created a united team in the Vietnam national team. And in the U.23 team, where the players are full of desire but not sure how to keep a cool head, the guidance of an experienced senior like Mr. Kim who has gone through many ups and downs will be very valuable.
New position of Van Truong, Dinh Bac
In 2022, Coach Gong Oh-kyun surprised everyone by calling Van Truong (then 19 years old) to the U.23 Vietnam squad to play in the U.23 Asia tournament. Van Truong was even arranged to play in the midfield with Van Khang. Although U.23 Vietnam stopped in the quarterfinals, for the 2003-born player, this was still a memorable experience.
However, over the past 4 years, Van Truong has not been able to break out. The young midfielder from Hanoi has been called up to the Vietnam national team 3 times, but was not retained after the shortlisting. In the V-League, Van Truong played 42 matches in the last 2 seasons, but did not leave much of an impression.
What the midfielder, whom coach Kim Sang-sik calls "the future face of Vietnamese football", left behind was his unsightly actions towards the U.23 Philippines players at the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament 2 years ago. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan had to discipline Van Truong. Because for young players, not correcting their playing attitude early means going the wrong way.
Van Truong wears the captain's armband of Vietnam U.23 team in the friendly match with Taiwan U.23
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
In the U.23 Southeast Asia tournament, Van Truong is the "brain" of the midfield of U.23 Vietnam. From being the youngest member of U.23 Vietnam 4 years ago, the 22-year-old midfielder is now the most experienced player. Van Truong will play the leading role in the game and this is a stepping stone for the 22-year-old midfielder to advance to the national team.
Similarly, Dinh Bac (2004) has gone through a low point in his career, with off-field troubles related to the Quang Nam team, and injuries suffered in the U.23 Vietnam team. Over the past 2 years, the striker from Nghe An has not been able to shake off the image he showed against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup.
However, Dinh Bac has returned in good shape, with a burning determination to compete for a position. The U.23 Southeast Asian playground is a golden opportunity for the 21-year-old striker to find himself again.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-khi-hoc-tro-thay-kim-phai-hoc-cach-kiem-soat-185250709092847056.htm
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