U19 SLNA team review at the 2023 National U19 Finals

Risk of missing goalkeeper number 1

At this year's National U19 Football Tournament, the squad under coach Nguyen Van Vinh includes key players born in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Although player Tran Nam Hai, currently part of Team 1 in the V.League, is still old enough to participate in the U19 tournament, instead, in the central midfielder position, the U19 SLNA coaching staff is creating opportunities for players who have played well at the National U17 Finals and have had good preparation time with the team.

Compared to the force of previous seasons, this year's SLNA U19 team is considered younger, with no players having had the chance to compete in a top-level environment except for goalkeeper Cao Van Binh and central defender Le Nguyen Hoang, who will participate in the 2023 AFC U20 Championship.

However, recently, goalkeeper Cao Van Binh was named by coach Philippe Troussie in the list of players preparing for the 32nd SEA Games. With a good performance at the recent U20 Asian Cup, it is very likely that the goalkeeper born in 2005 will be included in the official list to go to Laos. And that means, SLNA only has 2 goalkeepers left: Nguyen Huu Hau and Dang Xuan Son.

U19 SLNA team competing in the qualifying round. Photo: Chung Le

Goalkeeper Nguyen Huu Hau was born in 2004, with an impressive height of 1m83. Goalkeeper Dang Xuan Son has a height disadvantage compared to his teammate (1m75), but in return, the goalkeeper from Quy Hop has good reflexes, the ability to save penalties and is a very prominent player in previous youth tournaments. He was a former U15 Vietnam player, the best goalkeeper of the 2019 National U15 Finals and the 2020 National U17 Finals.

At this age, SLNA still has another young goalkeeper, Tran Bao Ngoc (born in 2007) - the best goalkeeper of the 2022 National U15 and U17 finals, currently part of the Vietnam U17 team preparing to participate in the U17 Asian Cup. However, with 3 goalkeepers previously registered, Bao Ngoc cannot be a timely replacement.

There is still a possibility that Cao Van Binh cannot compete for an official spot at the SEA Games with the other 3 goalkeepers. However, coach Nguyen Van Vinh will certainly have to be proactive in finding a replacement for the entire fierce final round that requires high concentration.

Many options for attack

If choosing Huu Hau or Xuan Son to replace goalkeeper Cao Van Binh is still an unsolved problem, coach Nguyen Van Vinh still has the right to be optimistic about his students in the remaining lines.

In the defense, Le Nguyen Hoang (2005) - Vo Tien Thang (2004) is the central defender pair who played quite well in the qualifying round, Nguyen Mai Hoang, Le Thanh Ngan (1m81 height) are also players with very good physique. Although they conceded 8 goals in the qualifying round, the young SLNA defenders in their first time working together also had a certain understanding.

In the midfield of U19 SLNA this year, Le Dinh Long Vu, Pham Nguyen Quoc Trung, Nguyen Trong Tuan are the pillars of U17 SLNA and are included in the list of U17 Vietnam. Combined with Le Van Quy, Ngo Van Bac and a tough midfielder, who was the captain of the National U17 in 2022 like Nguyen Quang Vinh, Coach Van Vinh can rest assured about the midfield.

Midfielder Nguyen Quang Vinh is the leader in the midfield of U19 SLNA. Photo: Chung Le

The U19 SLNA attack line includes players like Cai Van Quy (2004), Truong Van Tuyen (2005), Tran Quoc Hoa (2007), Le Thanh Cong (2005), Nguyen Quang Luc (2005) and Phan Duy Hao (2004). Fans of Nghe An are no longer unfamiliar with Cai Van Quy, the former U15 Vietnam player has returned and in the qualifying round, Cai Van Quy scored 1 goal for himself.

Of the 14 goals scored in the qualifying round, 9 players scored for U19 SLNA, namely Phan Duy Hao, Le Dinh Long Vu, Le Van Quy, Tran Quoc Hoa, Pham Nguyen Quoc Trung, Nguyen Quang Vinh, Truong Van Tuyen and Nguyen Quang Luc. Of which, Van Quy and Quang Luc scored 3 goals, Long Vu, Quang Vinh, Duy Hao scored 2 goals.

There are 12 teams in the National U19 Finals this year, U19 SLNA is in a group consisting of U19 Dong A Thanh Hoa, U19 Dong Thap and U19 Binh Duong. This group is considered to be quite balanced and extremely unpredictable. However, Nghe An fans can completely believe that coach Nguyen Van Vinh and his team can play well in each match and go deep in this year's tournament.