U23 Vietnam and the story of 'not calling then calling again'

Based on the strengths of these two players, it is easy to see that after the last friendly match before the 31st SEA Games, Mr. Park Hang-seo is concerned about the attacking midfielder position and the strikers' ability to score goals, so he continues to add more players. Not to mention that the coach is thinking about the future of the U23 Vietnam team, when participating in the U23 Asian Cup without 3 players over 23 years old.

Previously, when first summoning U23 for the campaign to defend the SEA Games gold medal, hePark Hang-seosurprised many people, because the list did not include "veterans" like Hai Long, Huu Thang, Xuan Tu... The reason everyone "read" was that the coach would choose players over 23 years old for these positions and that happened with the presence of Hung Dung, Hoang Duc and Tien Linh.

Nguyen Hai Long. Photo courtesy

In theory, from the time of the first call to the official registration (May 5, 2022), there will be many unexpected incidents, so the addition of forces is mandatory, it cannot be otherwise, and the appearance of new names is necessary. But it is worth mentioning that apart from players Quang Vinh and Quang Thinh who are injured and at risk of not being selected, everything in U23 Vietnam is still normal, no one has Covid-19, but Mr. Park Hang-seo still continuously adds forces, especially after each internal match or friendly match. And despite being "ignored" in the first call, up to now Xuan Tu and Hai Long have returned and who knows, maybe one day, at a beautiful time, Huu Thang will also be called to be added?

The story is called supplementary, so it is very likely that Mr. Park Hang-seo's "playbook" is aimed at... distracting the opponent, disrupting all the opponent's plans to disrupt the playing style or predict each other when they have a firm grasp of each other's strength. Is this intentional or is it the confusion, "hot-handed catching the ear" of the coaching staff? Because everyone knows, Hai Long is an extremely important card of U23 Vietnam in the U23 Asia qualifiers with 2 assists, helping the team enter the final round to be held this year. Similarly, Xuan Tu is the spearhead of U23 Vietnam's attack in the U23 Asia qualifiers as well as the Dubai international friendly tournament. It is natural that these players are called. But the fact that they are not named is... strange, a question mark for the selection and personnel arrangement?

Le Minh Binh is an excellent player loved by many people. Photo: Archive

In addition to the above reasons, it is very possible that Mr. Park Hang-seo's "not calling then calling again" is a "warning" for the stars, especially those who have left their mark and then easily become complacent, lacking effort, and new motivation to rise up. Previously, fans were surprised when Mr. Park Hang-seo, during a U23 Vietnam training session, crossed out Huu Thang's name, but only a few days later he called him back. This time, not only Huu Thang but also Hai Long and Xuan Tu are sitting out. The current problem is that there is not much time left, Hai Long and Xuan Tu have been called up, but the name Huu Thang is still... unclear?

Someone also said that although this lesson of the coach is good, it is also not good, because it can make the players lose motivation, after not being trusted and relied on. And when they are called back, they lose precious time to practice with their teammates, so it is not easy to catch up and regain their original form?

Being called for the first time and not being on the final list is natural (more than 30 people are called but only 20 people are allowed to register). Even though only being called for additional players, being on the last list is also natural, like midfielder Hai Long for example? This means that the already crowded squad is now even more crowded because there is a new factor that is sure to be in the squad. The U23 Vietnam midfielders and strikers will certainly have an interesting competition to be selected. Mr. Park Hang-seo will also have a "pleasant headache" when choosing who stays and who goes.

Coach Park requires U23 Vietnam's playing style to be stable. Photo courtesy of Hai Hoang

When there is no final list, it is clear that Mr. Park Hang-seo is spreading a "matrix" that makes all predictions and calculations... completely wrong? When Minh Binh is called back and Van Dat's figure is still missing, when Van Tung and Dy Hao are playing "brightly", when senior Tien Linh is being doubted about his form... then the U23 Vietnam attack line will have many more surprises, many mysteries worth following? And when Hai Long returns, will he be compatible with Hung Dung and Hoang Duc? This is something that even Mr. Park Hang-seo does not dare to confirm.

A stable, cohesive team that can stand tall in storms or a team with many disturbances, making opponents unable to understand which is more dangerous will be answered specifically by U23 Vietnam and Mr. Park Hang-seo at SEA Games 31?

Phu Chau