SEA Games 32 men's football sets age of players with many changes; Assistant Lee Young-jin suddenly writes farewell letter to Vietnam team

SEA Games 32 men's football sets age of players with many changes

The 32nd SEA Games Organizing Committee announced the regulations for men's football, including some changes to the age requirements for participating players.

It is expected that next week, the Vietnam Football Federation will officially announce the identity of the new head coach of the Vietnam national team and Vietnam U22 team. Most likely, it will be Coach Philippe Troussier, the former captain of Vietnam U19, a talented Coach who has led the team at the World Cup.

In 2023,U22 Vietnamtasked with successfully defending the Gold Medal at the 32nd SEA Games to be held in Cambodia next May, a tournament in which Vietnam is the defending champion and has won two consecutive titles under Coach Park Hang Seo.

The age limit for participating in SEA Games 32 men's football is 22 years old.

Before this tournament, the boys in red will participate in the U23 Doha Cup friendly tournament in Qatar, gathering 8 strong teams from Europe and Asia such as U23 Croatia, U23 Qatar, U23 Korea, U23 Saudi Arabia, U23 UAE, U23 Uzbekistan, U23 Thailand.

On February 3, the 32nd SEA Games Organizing Committee also announced the regulations for football. Accordingly, the teams will use U22 players born from January 1, 2001 onwards. Thus, players born in 2000 such as Nguyen Thanh Binh and Nham Manh Dung will not be able to participate due to being overage.

Also according to the host country Cambodia, each team will only be allowed to add 2 players over 22 years old, instead of 3 players like in previous tournaments. According to the expected schedule, the men's football event of the 32nd SEA Games will start on April 29, while the women's football event will start about a week later.

The 32nd SEA Games will feature 35 sports with 583 events taking place at 5 venues. Most of the sports and main activities of the 32nd SEA Games will take place in the capital city of Phnom Penh.

Assistant Lee Young-jin suddenly wrote a farewell letter to the Vietnam team

Coach Park Hang-seo's number one assistant sent a letter of thanks to Vietnamese fans and told the players to always try their best before saying goodbye. "I think now is the right time to look back on the long journey of the past 5 years. I still remember very clearly the cheers and encouragement that you have given to our teams. I received a lot of love from you. That cheer will forever be in my heart. So please continue to give endless love to our players regardless of the results," Coach Lee Young-jin began his letter.

Coach Lee Young-jin has been Coach Park Hang-seo's closest assistant for the past 5 years in Vietnam in all campaigns at all team levels. When Coach Park's contract ended, Mr. Lee also did not continue to accompany the teams.

Coach Lee Young-jin (right) has made many silent contributions alongside Mr. Park Hang-seo. Photo: Viet Hung.

"The moment that broke my heart in my 5 years as an assistant was when the Vietnamese players suffered injuries and did not receive enough encouragement for not winning, despite the sacrifices they made. I understand it is difficult to console you about this. However, the players will overcome this period and continue to contribute to the development of Vietnamese football," Mr. Lee wrote.

Assistant Coach Park said that the time he spent with the Vietnamese players was the happiest and most comfortable time of his football career. When his contract ended, he became an enthusiastic fan of the Vietnamese team.

In the letter, Coach Lee also sent instructions to many Vietnamese players, most of whom are his students in the U23 and national teams.

"One more thing, I want to ask the players to understand that if they stop trying, their progress will also stop. In the world of football, stopping means falling behind. In order to avoid making that mistake, I hope the players will always be careful with injuries and work hard to continue to advance in their careers," Mr. Lee wrote.

The coach born in 1963 also encouraged Vietnamese players to go abroad. Under Mr. Park, many players have gone abroad to play.

"Playing abroad is an important issue for the future of Vietnamese football and the generation of young players. I hope the players will always have the spirit of striving, not only for their own development but also for Vietnamese football," Coach Lee shared.

"I will no longer work with you, but I will always be a teacher. I hope we will keep in touch and maintain this good relationship. I want you to continue to overcome challenges. Please feel free to contact me if you need support. I will try to help," said Mr. Lee.

MU prepares to extend contract with Garnacho

Scoring points in the eyes of Coach Erik Ten Hag, young talent Garnacho is about to have his contract extended by MU.

Alejandro Garnacho is a young player trusted by Coach Erik Ten Hag this season. Up to this point, the player born in 2004 has played 23 matches in all competitions, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists for the Red Devils.

Garnacho is set to have his contract extended by MU. Photo: Getty

Alejandro Garnacho's impressive performance has pleased Coach Erik Ten Hag as well as the Red Devils' coaching staff. According to GOAL, MU is preparing to extend the contract with Alejandro Garnacho.

According to this source, MU wants to extend the contract with Alejandro Garnacho until 2028 to avoid being noticed by other teams. Currently, this midfielder's contract with the Red Devils still has a term until 2024.

Alejandro Garnacho joined MU from Atletico Madrid in 2020. After 9 matches in the 2022/2023 Premier League, this player has scored 1 goal and 2 assists for the Red Devils.

Kiatisuk is ready to replace Tuan Anh and Minh Vuong.

After a 0-0 draw against Ha Tinh in the opening matchV.League 2023On the afternoon of February 4, Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang gave his assessment of the new generation of Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

"Hoang Anh Gia Lai want 3 points at home but 1 point is also a good start. We met them 5 times but still drew. Looking further ahead, this is a good match for the young players. They are motivated when they take the field and that is my goal," Kiatisuk assessed.

Kiatisuk faces a new revolution in which he is ready to replace any player. Photo: Quang Thinh

Talking about his satisfaction with the new generation of players after Cong Phuong, he said: "I am satisfied when all the players are in good form, playing well in attack and defense. V.League 1 is not an easy environment to play in. For example, Ngoc Quang played well but I had to replace Quoc Viet so he could feel the atmosphere, but I didn't want to."

The two most prominent players of Cong Phuong's generation who remain on the team are Nguyen Tuan Anh and Tran Minh Vuong. Both have the task of "carrying" Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Kiatisuk is trying to find someone who can replace these two players when they are not able to play.

"I told Tuan Anh and Minh Vuong to try to play 90 minutes, if they are tired, Duc Viet, Thanh Son, Van Anh will replace them immediately. I will give young players a chance in any match because the club has many young players. Sometimes Hoang Anh Gia Lai does not always need 3 points, but when I am satisfied, I let young players play," he said.