5 Song Lam Nghe An players were called up to prepare for the U23 Southeast Asian tournament

On the afternoon of June 20, head coach Kim Sang-sik announced the list of 35 players for the 3rd training session of 2025 of the Vietnam U22 team, preparing for the journey to defend the championship title at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

One of the notable highlights in this list is the presence of 5 players from Song Lam Nghe An club, including: goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, defender Ho Van Cuong, midfielder Nguyen Quang Vinh, Dinh Xuan Tien and striker Le Dinh Long Vu.

The presence of the Nghe An players not only shows their stable performance in the club's colors but also reflects the sustainable youth training quality of the Song Lam Nghe An academy.

Among them, Dinh Xuan Tien and Le Dinh Long Vu are two names with rich international competition experience. Both were part of the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 championship team and played impressively at the 2024 Asian U23 finals. Dinh Xuan Tien stands out with his ability to create and shoot from afar, while Long Vu is highly appreciated for his speed, technique and sudden changes in playing style.

Cao Van Binh, a goalkeeper born in 2003, continues to be trusted thanks to his good reflexes and stability through many national youth tournaments. Meanwhile, Ho Van Cuong and Nguyen Quang Vinh are two names that are increasingly asserting themselves in the Song Lam Nghe An squad at V.League 2024/25, showing clear progress in physical strength, tactical thinking and competitive spirit.

In this gathering, coach Kim Sang-sik continues to maintain the framework that was used in the two most recent gatherings in March and June 2025. Notably, the list includes 8 players who won the championship at the U23 Southeast Asia 2023, many of whom have experience at the U23 Asia 2024, such as: Tran Trung Kien, Nguyen Hong Phuc, Nguyen Van Truong, Khuat Van Khang, Dinh Xuan Tien, Nguyen Dang Duong, Le Dinh Long Vu and Nguyen Quoc Viet.

Notably, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac has returned after a broken toe injury suffered during the training session in March. Although it was predicted that he would have to rest for at least 3 months, the good recovery process has helped the young striker born in 2004 to return on time. Dinh Bac is considered one of the brightest attacking talents of Vietnamese football today, having made his mark at the 2023 Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for the national team.

In addition, the U22 Vietnam team this time continues to create conditions for young talents and overseas Vietnamese players. Among them, Viktor Le (Hong Linh Ha Tinh) has gradually adapted to the domestic football environment, while Bui Alex (Bohemians Praha 1905 B, Czech Republic) has just been called up for the first time and is receiving high expectations thanks to his modern football ability and European training foundation.

Another notable factor is Nguyen Ngoc My, a midfielder on the roster of Dong A Thanh Hoa. After missing out on the national team in March due to injury, this player born in 2005 has returned with great form. Ngoc My was the Best Player of the 2023 National U19 Tournament and the Top Scorer of the 2024 National U21 Tournament, contributing greatly to the outstanding achievements of the Thanh Hoa youth team.

However, the team also suffered a big loss when striker Bui Vi Hao could not participate due to a serious injury that required surgery at the end of March. Vi Hao had played prominently at the U20 Asia, U23 Asia, ASIAD tournaments and recently scored at the ASEAN Cup 2024. He is expected to be out of action for at least 10 months.

According to plan, U22 Vietnam will train in Ba Ria Vung Tau from June 26 to July 14, then move to Indonesia to participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, taking place from July 15 to 29.

In the group stage, coach Kim Sang Sik's team will face U22 Laos on July 19 and U22 Cambodia on July 22. With two consecutive championships in 2022 and 2023, U23 Vietnam is the defending champion of the tournament and aims to successfully defend the title./.