Where does the Song Lam Nghe An youth team stand now?
The leadership and investors of Song Lam Nghe An have been relying on young players to compete in the V-League for at least the last two seasons. This is entirely justified, utilizing a unique strength: a locally trained squad that understands each other from the youth teams, and is familiar with the football environment thanks to years of training, friendly matches, and youth tournaments.
However, it's undeniable that the youth training program at Song Lam Nghe An is gradually falling behind, even lagging far behind the academies of Hanoi FC, The Cong Viettel, PVF, and even neighboring Thanh Hoa, which are catching up and surpassing them. Looking at the current Song Lam Nghe An youth team is essential to determining their position in the V-League or national youth teams.
First of all, the player who once held the highest "label" at Song Lam Nghe An was goalkeeper Van Viet, who was called up to the Vietnam National Team and the U23 Vietnam team many times. Of course, when called up to the Vietnam National Team, Van Viet only held the 3rd or 4th position, meaning he was a backup to senior players like Van Lam, Nguyen Filip, and Dinh Trieu. In the U23 Vietnam team, the coaches also preferred Van Chuan over Van Viet, meaning the main goalkeeper of Song Lam Nghe An was in the 2nd position, a backup to the main goalkeeper of the U23 Vietnam team. This shows that Van Viet was a valuable reserve goalkeeper, called up to the national team as preparation for the future in goal for the Vietnam National Team thanks to his excellent qualities. Unfortunately, Van Viet was not included in the call-up for the ASEAN Cup 2024. There are many reasons, but it is certain that the scouts looked at the poor performance of Song Lam Nghe An to "evaluate" Van Viet, even though he remains the best player in the team's lineup to date.
The second player worth mentioning is defender Van Cuong, who once played excellently forVietnam U23During Troussier's time at the Southeast Asian U23 Championship, Van Cuong was also called up to the Vietnamese national team as a "trainee" for the future. Unfortunately, after a loan spell at Hanoi Police FC and persistent injuries, Van Cuong has yet to truly return to his best, leaving his future still uncertain.
The next player is Xuan Tien, who was in the same age group as Van Cuong when they won the U17 national championship in 2020. He was also called up to the Vietnam U23 second team for the Southeast Asian tournament. At that time, the Vietnam U23 team was divided into two teams serving two different goals. It was very unfortunate that Xuan Tien was not selected for the U23 team to compete in the continental tournament. Afterwards, injuries and internal disciplinary issues made it very difficult for this young talent to rediscover himself. A similar story also happened to Nam Hai, who struggled with injuries after his success with the Vietnam U23 team, but suffered greatly during his long absence from the field and had to find his form again.
Two young talents from Vietnam's U19 team, Nguyen Hoang and Le Dinh Long Vu, may perform well in the national youth teams, but the V-League is a different story. They are truly overwhelmed by the V-League, as reality has shown. It's difficult for them to achieve the same outstanding progress as their predecessors Van Quyen or Cong Vinh, even though Nguyen Hoang is recognized as maturing and a great hope in defense, and Long Vu has assisted his teammates in scoring goals. But that's not enough, absolutely not enough, when the V-League is filled with experienced, talented players, formidable foreign players, and it's not easy for them to showcase their talents. Just look at how hard Van Duc or Xuan Manh are struggling to find a place in the team, or how Ngoc Hai and Nguyen Manh have just been dropped from the national team – that shows where the current young players of Song Lam stand on the "map of status" in Vietnamese football.
As you can see, the young generationLam River, Nghe AnNot only do they currently lack a place in the national team, but their position in the Vietnam U23 team remains questionable given their struggles at their clubs. Therefore, after a season of avoiding relegation, they are now facing an even greater challenge this season – like climbing a mountain only to encounter a higher one. Coach Nhu Thuat had to speak frankly about supplementing and replacing players, both domestic and foreign.
The young players of Song Lam are gradually losing their place in the national team due to overwork at their clubs. Losing and drawing more often than winning can erode their confidence and the necessary momentum, leading to unsatisfactory individual and team results. Without the guidance of senior players and having to push themselves too hard, their talent may be stifled, hindering their normal development. Consider Van Truong at Hanoi FC or young player Ngoc My at Dong A Thanh Hoa; their favorable environment is clearly helping them grow. As for Long Vu or Nguyen Hoang, it's difficult to say whether being promoted early to the Song Lam Nghe An first team will lead to progress or regression, and whether their future will be bright.
There's a saying in life, "Wisdom doesn't come from youth," and in football, the same can easily be said, "Victory doesn't come from youth," as in the case of Song Lam Nghe An. Song Lam's young players have potential and are well-trained, but if they are not used properly, if their development is rushed, if they are not given adequate attention and investment, and if they lack a favorable environment for practice, they will quickly lose their form or find it very difficult to regain it. The examples above are concrete and undeniable evidence of this.
