V. League and the open-close door for young players.

Given the technical skills demonstrated by the Vietnam U23 team, extending the contract with new coach Gong Oh-kyun is inevitable, as this is closely related to the renewal process aimed at elevating the Vietnam national team under the leadership of Park Hang-seo.

But the "fate" of the Vietnamese U23 players when V. League 1 and 2 resume this coming July is something that cannot be easily predicted. Why is that?

In reality, the current Vietnam U23 squad only has three players who have previously played in the V. League: Van Toan, Viet Anh, and Thanh Binh. The rest were loaned out for training, such as Minh Binh and Tuan Tai in V. League 2, and even rising stars like Van Truong and Van Khang only played in amateur leagues with the U19 team…

No one can guarantee that, after performing well with the Vietnam U23 team, all of them will have a spot in the V.League when they return to their respective clubs. Even a reserve spot seems too difficult for Danh Trung or Mạnh Dũng at Viettel, Minh Bình at Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, or Văn Chuẩn at Hanoi FC…

Vietnam U23 team during their match against Thailand U23. (Photo: Archival image)

Meanwhile, another reality is unfolding: many young talents are eliminated in the final round.Vietnam U23but they are quite secure in the V. League, like players Van Lam, Van Viet, Sy Hoang… at Song Lam Nghe An.

It's difficult to say whether these promising players still have a chance while Gong Oh-kyun continues to lead the Vietnam U23 team, but if they perform really well in the V. League, the opportunity is wide open for them to be called up to the Vietnam national team in the near future.

This shows that, when domestic tournaments take place, opportunities continue to be equally distributed among all players, and everyone must accept the harsh law of elimination in sports in general, and football in particular, during the process of development and progress.

Once again, the reality shows that the new coach of the Vietnam U23 team, Gong Oh-kyun, always has the right and necessary perspective to guide his players, telling them, "Forget what happened at the 2022 AFC U23 Championship and focus on your work at your club."

More than anyone else, he understood that the philosophy of playing football at the club and national team levels is completely different; the goals are different, so the methods and approaches are also different. And to maximize their potential in these different environments, conditions, and circumstances, players must follow different training plans and operational methods from different coaches, even though they all aim for the common goal for the club and the national team.

Generally, in football clubs, the priority is safety, avoiding risks and experimentation, focusing only on immediate and urgent goals. Veteran coach Phan Thanh Hung, when he was in charge of Quang Ninh, would have found it very difficult to accept the decision to field young player Hai Long in the starting lineup if it weren't for the injury of experienced midfielder Hai Huy.

Not only Viettel but the entire V.League is buying foreign strikers for the purpose of scoring goals, so it's certain that Mạnh Dũng, Danh Trung, Văn Tùng, Minh Bình… will only be "supporting players" at the club that trained them, and their regular task will be to patiently wait for their time.

Vietnam U23 team during a training session. (Photo: Archival image)

At Song Lam Nghe An, the story is different because the team is financially struggling and cannot easily afford top foreign players, so relying on domestic players has become a tradition. Consequently, the most promising young talents are always promoted to the first team very early, from the time of Van Quyen and Cong Vinh to Xuan Tien, Van Cuong, and Van Bach today…

The problem is that currently, the young talents of Song Lam Nghe An are not catching the attention of the Korean coaches, even though they are always trusted at the club. This is a very noticeable "gap" between the two.

Xuan Tien of Song Lam Nghe An and Van Truong of Hanoi FC share a common starting point, but Xuan Tien showed his talent earlier, from the U15 and U17 stages, while Van Truong only emerged at the U19 level but immediately caught the eye of his new coach, Gong Oh-kyun.

Van Truong was frequently used in a difficult midfield position for the Vietnam U23 team, and he played well, showing great potential. Meanwhile, Xuan Tien did not show a prominent role in the U19 team.Lam River, Nghe AnAs expected, even being promoted to the Song Lam Nghe An first team hasn't made him an irreplaceable key player...

This shows that both Park Hang-seo and Gong Oh-kyun had compelling reasons for their talent selection, and the reality demonstrates the foresight of those entrusted with elevating Vietnamese football.

The paths and strategies of the teams and players are generally clear, well-defined, and always highly competitive. The main point is that opportunities are once again opening up for those who are ambitious, patient, and determined to succeed. And V. League 1 and 2 are the platforms where they can freely showcase their talents, serving as the most important database for recommending outstanding individuals to reach a new level.

Phu Chau