SEA Games 31 Organizing Committee changes rules, Coach Park Hang-seo and U23 Vietnam are confident in defending the throne

Each U23 men's team participating in SEA Games 31 is allowed to add 3 players over 23 years old.

According to the latest information,SEA Games 31 Organizing Committeepreparing to approve the tournament regulations, specifically the tournament will apply the U23 + 3 age group for men's football. Currently, 10 men's teams (except Brunei) have agreed to the above regulations and registered to participate.

This year's regulations on the age of participation in men's football are different from previous years. Accordingly, instead of playing with the U22 team + 2 over-age players as at SEA Games 30, each U23 men's team participating in SEA Games 31 is allowed to add 3 players over 23 years old.

Hung Dung helped Vietnam quench its thirst for gold at the 30th SEA Games as an overage player. Photo: Hieu Luong

The reason is that the 31st SEA Games was originally scheduled to be held in 2021, but due to the pandemic, it had to be postponed to 2022, coinciding with the year of the ASIAD, so the football regulations have also been changed to help countries prepare for the 2022 Hangzhou ASIAD. Also according to an official of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, this adjustment is because the SEA Games was postponed by 1 year, so the age of participating players (born from 1999 onwards) will be increased by 1 year.

In the immediate future, this information will significantly increase the strength of U23 Vietnam when defender Doan Van Hau (born in 1999) is still at the eligible age to participate in the tournament as an U23 (under 23) player. It is expected that Van Hau will be able to return in time for the 31st SEA Games after surgery for his injury in Korea.

Regarding the case of the 3 over-age players, of course, Coach Park Hang-seo will feel extremely happy when he will most likely summon the 3 veterans of the Vietnam National Team to help, along with the "juniors" to defend the Gold Medal at the 31st SEA Games. Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, Hung Dung, Cong Phuong or Tien Linh... (players over 23 years old) if summoned will certainly become an extremely solid support for the players in the U23 team to rely on.

In the past 2 years, the U23 Vietnam players preparing for the 31st SEA Games have not played much in domestic tournaments, and have had little chance to compete internationally due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, the U23 Vietnam team has missed the opportunity to participate in the Toulou Cup in France to compete and gain experience against strong young teams in the world.

The team only had two international friendly matches during their only overseas training trip in the UAE, before participating in the 2022 AFC U23 qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan in October 2021.

That is one of the reasons why U23 Vietnam played unconvincingly in the 2022 U23 Asian qualifiers. Therefore, VFF's number 1 priority in 2022 is to invest better in the U23 team to successfully defend the Gold Medal at the 31st SEA Games held at home next May.

Sharing with the media, a member of the coaching staff of the Vietnam U23 team said that adding up to 3 over-age players to the 31st SEA Games will solve a major problem related to personnel.

"As you know, U23 Vietnam is a team that has played together for a while, but experience is something we are not really confident about.

Therefore, Coach Park expressed his joy in online meetings when adding 3 overage players to the team. What we are missing is a leader in defense, a midfielder who can control the game and an experienced left-back.

Personally, I think that Coach Park already has suitable names for himself."

Coach Park Hang-seo is happy with the changes at SEA Games 31 but will have a headache when choosing which 3 names to join the U23 team to participate in this tournament. Photo courtesy of PV

Remember, at the SEA Games 3 years ago, U22 Vietnam won the first gold medal in history with the great contribution of 2 overage players Hung Dung and Trong Hoang. With the goal of successfully defending the throne, Coach Park will surely breathe a sigh of relief because he was called up 3 more players for this congress.

Men's football will be played in 2 groups in Phu Tho and Nam Dinh, the semi-finals and finals are expected to be played at My Dinh Stadium. Up to now, according to information from the Organizing Committee, a total of 10 men's teams (except Brunei) and 9 women's teams (except Brunei, East Timor and Myanmar) have registered to participate in men's and women's football at the 31st SEA Games.