Young players of Song Lam Nghe An and the opportunities ahead

Surely we still remember that during the 30th and 31st SEA Games under Mr. Park Hang-seo, Song Lam Nghe An did not contribute a single name to the final list, except for the case of Trong Hoang participating as an over-age player playing for Viettel.

This time, Song Lam Nghe An has confidently contributed 3 names, including 2 official players, Van Cuong and Xuan Tien, and a backup player, goalkeeper Van Binh. Even this backup case is a rare thing, because Van Binh is an U19 player, not yet promoted to the first team, meaning he is still playing amateur football and has not been assigned to V.League 1 and 2.

That is the remarkable quality continuation of the Song Lam Nghe An training center after the Van Duc-Xuan Manh period, then falling into a period of disappointment and now returning with Van Cuong-Xuan Tien-Van Binh and many other excellent young factors.

The road to the Bronze Medal of U22 Vietnam has many obstacles, but also revealed many potential factors, full of hope for the new journey, including Van Cuong of Song Lam Nghe An. This defender born in 2003 has a strong physical foundation, good defense, sharp attack, excellent goals with a double in the final match, is considered by coach Troussier as "the face of the attacking style" that he is working hard to build and search for.

Of course, in this tournament, his teammate Xuan Tien rarely played in his best position (he also did not play in the previous U20 Asia tournament), so he could not show much compared to the main matches in the V.League. But certainly, this player with a lot of potential still has the opportunity to prove himself in the upcoming tournaments when he has fully recovered from his injury and returned to his original form.

Opportunities are wide open for young players across the country, including young players from Song Lam Nghe An, not only in the V.League but also in upcoming continental tournaments, after the Federation and Mr. Troussier made new and bold decisions. That is an international friendly tournament Panda Cup in June with the participation of 4 host teams China, Bahrain, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Then there is the 2024 U23 Asian Qualifiers and ASIAD 19 taking place in September 2023.

It is known that Mr. Troussier has decided not to send U23 Vietnam to attend ASIAD 19, but instead U20 Vietnam. Not to mention, U20 Vietnam will also replace U23 Vietnam to attend the U23 Southeast Asian Finals taking place early next year.

It is not yet clear which year the U20 Vietnam team will be called up to include, but if we calculate at this time, Van Cuong, Xuan Tien, Nam Hai, Van Binh, Nguyen Hoang or potential players from U19 Song Lam Nghe An such as Quang Vinh, Long Vu, Van Bac, and even some excellent players from the U17 team such as Trong Tuan, Bao Ngoc, Quoc Trung, Van Nam, Van Thanh... will all be in the "memory" of the coaching staff of the youth teams when selecting their squad.

The above names are all outstanding faces, spread evenly across the lines from goalkeeper Van Binh, to center back Nguyen Hoang, defender Van Cuong, midfielders Xuan Tien, Van Bac, Nam Hai, Quang Vinh, striker Long Vu... very deserving to be called up and play with dedication and maturity.

Obviously, after a period of difficulty when changing sponsors, the youth training center of Song Lam Nghe An is recovering and returning as strong as before, capable of contributing many resources to the national teams. Currently, in V-League 1, Song Lam Nghe An is not performing as expected, starting from many reasons, including the rejuvenation of many positions in the main squad. But from there, it opens up opportunities for many young players to practice top-level football early, bringing clear benefits to themselves after being called up to the national team.

If in the past, we had to wait until the U22 and U23 teams to be called up to the national team, now, from the U19, U20, even excellent players from U17 have been given the opportunity to perform national duties, compete in international tournaments, and meet the top teams in the continent. Let's see how Van Cuong performed steadily at the recent SEA Games, how well Nguyen Hoang and Van Binh performed at the recent U20 Asian tournament, let's see how Nam Hai surpassed their level when playing for the first team, let's see how Long Vu U17 played the entire U19 national tournament to know the great potential that Song Lam Nghe An possesses, which is an endless reserve resource for the national teams.

The problem is that young players must make great efforts in training and competition, know how to listen and learn from the experiences of their seniors and teammates, and know how to prove their abilities in real combat when assigned tasks in every match and tournament, even when competing at a higher level. Only then will these young talents have the opportunity to take on important responsibilities in the national teams after each time their names are called, trusted, and able to maximize their inherent strengths./.