2022 Southeast Asian U23 Championship: 'A purposeful walk' of U23 Vietnam

Located in a group considered "death" with the presence of U23 Thailand (the core is U19) and U23 Singapore. Theoretically, the chance of going further ofCoach Dinh The Nam and his studentsis not easy. It should be noted that the members of the U23 Vietnam team participating in this year's tournament are all only between the ages of 18 and 21.

Vietnam U23 players are actively training in Binh Duong. Photo: Dung Phuong

Meanwhile, although they did not bring their strongest squad to Cambodia, the quality of young Thai players cannot be underestimated. In contrast to the Vietnam Football Federation and the Thai Football Federation, it is likely that the Singapore Football Federation will send a "genuine" U23 team to the 2022 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

That said, to be able to participate in the knockout round, coach Dinh The Nam and his team must play with more than 100% of their inherent ability. Otherwise, the risk of being eliminated early is not small, despite the Vietnam Football Federation's announcement that U23 Vietnam went to Cambodia this time only to compete "to practice", in preparation for the 32nd SEA Games, taking place next year.

The 2022 Southeast Asian U23 Championship is an opportunity for coach Park Hang-seo to look for "new factors" for the "genuine" U23. Photo: HA

It is completely understandable and reasonable that the Vietnam Football Federation does not set specific goals for coach Dinh The Nam and his team. Simply put, the 2022 Southeast Asian U23 Championship is essentially just a friendly tournament. There is no reason for the Vietnam Football Federation to "use a butcher knife to kill a chicken".

However, that does not mean that Dinh Xuan Tien and his teammates are not trying their best. Because it is very possible that some of the impressive players in Cambodia will be added by Coach Park Hang-seo to the list of U23 Vietnam to prepare for the 31st SEA Games, which will be held next May in Hanoi and neighboring localities.

Hopefully, with a relaxed mentality, coach Dinh The Nam and his team will compete successfully, and at the same time help coach Park Hang-seo discover more "new factors" for the "genuine" U23 team, to successfully defend the Gold Medal won at the SEA Games nearly 3 years ago./.