What are the chances for Song Lam Nghe An players in the Vietnam U22 team?

TeamU22 Vietnamofficially gathered from March 10 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. Due to the time coinciding with the FIFA Days training session in March 2025 of the Vietnam National Team, the position of Acting Head Coach of U22 Vietnam continued to be handed over by Coach Kim Sang Sik to Assistant Dinh Hong Vinh.

The list of 27 players participating this time includes the appearance of 4 players from Song Lam Nghe An: goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, defender Ho Van Cuong, midfielder Nguyen Quang Vinh and midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien.

Experts say that this time, U22 Vietnam possesses a quality squad, capable of "shaking" the 33rd SEA Games. The defense has solid names such as Nguyen Duc Anh, Nguyen Bao Long, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Ho Van Cuong... The midfield is full of creativity with Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen An Khanh, Vikto Le... And on the attack line, "guns" such as Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Quoc Viet are ready to "fire bullets".

Most notable is the midfield, where the Vietnamese-American duo Nguyen An Khanh and Vikto Le are present. In terms of expertise, these two talents have proven their abilities at the clubs they play for, so winning a starting position seems to be not much of a debate.

Therefore, with this talented squad, the 4 Song Lam Nghe An players will definitely have to "sweat" to compete for a place on the field. And only with their relentless efforts can the Nghe An players hope to convince coach Dinh Hong Vinh.

What are the chances for the 4 Nghe An players?

During this training session, the head coach of U22 Vietnam often applies the 4-3-3 formation to the training plans. And looking at the above formation, the chance for all 4 names of Song Lam Nghe An Club to be present at the same time is not much.

In the goalkeeper position, looking at the 4 goalkeepers, it is not difficult to predict that Cao Van Binh will have to compete fiercely with Tran Trung Kien. The goalkeeper of Hoang Anh Gia Lai is highly appreciated for his quick reflexes, reasonable entry and exit, and stable competitive mentality. In addition, Trung Kien also plays the ball quite well with his feet, which will help the U22 Vietnam team to launch smooth attacks from the back to the front.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Cao Van Binh (SLNA) has also affirmed his value as the number 1 goalkeeper in the Vietnam U20 team competing in the 2023 U20 Asian Cup finals. However, with the strengths of his colleague, goalkeeper Cao Van Binh will certainly have to make more efforts to convince the coaching staff of Vietnam U22.

In the defense, it will not be difficult to predict the prominent names that are likely to take the starting position in the U22 Vietnam squad. Among them, defender Ho Van Cuong, who is playing for Song Lam Nghe An and has the ability to attack and defend comprehensively, will likely be one of the pillars on the right wing.

At the club level, Ho Van Cuong has made an impressive comeback after a long period of injury. He played enthusiastically and created an extremely dangerous breakthrough, contributing to helping the Nghe An team achieve positive results in the last 2 rounds of the V-League.

Therefore, with his current form, it is completely possible for him to win a starting position in the U22 Vietnam team.

Meanwhile, the situation in the midfield is much more tense. If Ho Van Cuong has a great opportunity to play, Dinh Xuan Tien and Nguyen Quang Vinh have to face fierce competition. With a series of talented midfielders such as Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Quoc Cuong, An Khanh, Vikto Le in the squad, it will be difficult for both of them to be present at the same time in the midfield, which is said to bring a pleasant headache to coach Dinh Hong Vinh.

Among them, Vikto Le is almost certain to be in the central midfield position, where he plays the role of "dealing cards" and controlling the tempo of the match. An Khanh, with his technique and modern football thinking, will be the factor that ignites attacking opportunities. Thus, there is only one Box-to-Box midfielder position left for Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Quoc Cuong, Nguyen Quang Vinh and Dinh Xuan Tien to compete.

Among the candidates, Nguyen Quang Vinh has many advantages thanks to his regular appearances in the V-League for Song Lam Nghe An. He possesses a strong physical foundation, strong fighting ability, flexible passing and can even score goals. At the club level, the player born in 2005 is also often placed in the Box-to-Box role, giving him a great opportunity in the three-midfield formation that coach Dinh Hong Vinh is building.

However, the opportunity is still wide open for all four Nghe An players. If they perform well at the CFA Team China 2025 international friendly tournament, taking place from March 20 to 25 in Jiangsu with the participation of U22 Vietnam, Uzbekistan, South Korea and host China, the door to participate in the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers and SEA Games 33 will certainly be wide open.