Vietnam National Team Squad: What opportunities are there for new players?
(Baonghean.vn) - To prepare for the 2019 Asian Cup, coach Park Hang-seo has decided to call up seven additional players.
Those who received this honor were Tran Minh Vuong, Dinh Thanh Binh, Phan Thanh Hau (HAGL), Ngo Tung Quoc (XSKT Can Tho), Nguyen Hoang Duc (Viettel), Nguyen Thanh Chung and Ngan Van Dai (Hanoi). Alongside the addition of new players, Coach Park Hang-seo also said goodbye to Nguyen Van Quyet, Nguyen Anh Duc and Tran Dinh Trong, for various reasons.
Currently, the Vietnamese national team has a roster of 27 players and will assemble on December 21st. According to the tournament regulations, each team participating in the 2019 Asian Cup can only register a maximum of 23 players, similar to the 2018 AFF Cup. Therefore, before departing for the UAE to participate in the 2019 Asian Cup, coach Park Hang-seo will have to drop four players.
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| The duo Nguyen Anh Duc and Nguyen Van Quyet will not participate in the 2019 Asian Cup. Photo: Internet |
Most likely, the 20 players who just won the 2018 AFF Cup with the Vietnamese national team will be retained for the continental tournament, unless they suffer injuries. This means the remaining 3 spots will be divided equally among 7 newcomers: Tran Minh Vuong, Dinh Thanh Binh, Phan Thanh Hau, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Ngan Van Dai, and Ngo Tung Quoc.
With the exclusion of Nguyen Van Quyet, Nguyen Anh Duc, and Tran Dinh Trong, coach Park Hang-seo will prioritize players who play in the same positions as the three mentioned above. Based on their preferred positions, professional skills, and match experience, Nguyen Thanh Chung (center back), Tran Minh Vuong (attacking midfielder), and Dinh Thanh Binh (forward) are the three players with the best chance of participating in the 2019 Asian Cup.
Nguyen Thanh Chung participated in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship and the 18th Asian Games, and was occasionally fielded by coach Park Hang-seo. Tran Minh Vuong was also part of the Vietnamese Olympic team that competed in the 18th Asian Games. This player performed quite impressively whenever he was on the field. His goal against the South Korean Olympic team is a prime example. Coach Park Hang-seo has praised Tran Minh Vuong's talent on numerous occasions.
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| Coach Park Hang-seo and player Tran Minh Vuong during a training session of the Vietnam national team. Photo: Internet. |
The case of Dinh Thanh Binh is different. The striker, born in 1998, just had a successful tournament with the Thanh Nien Newspaper U21 Select Team at the 2018 Thanh Nien Newspaper International U21 Tournament (winning the top scorer title).
Recently, Dinh Thanh Binh has shown remarkable maturity. According to many experts, the HAGL player will become a top striker in Vietnamese football in the near future.
However, this is just the author's speculation, as the final decision rests with coach Park Hang-seo. It will take about two more weeks to know who will be eliminated and who will make it to the UAE.
Remember, the South Korean strategist often makes decisions that surprise both experts and fans. It's very likely this time will be no exception.
