'Red alert' for Nguyen Hoang and Nam Hai
The Vietnam Football Federation has just announced the list of players called up to the Vietnam U22 team to prepare for the 2026 U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games. Looking at this list, fans are worried about the future of the duo Le Nguyen Hoang and Tran Nam Hai.
In previous training camps of the Vietnam U22 team, if Tran Nam Hai and Le Nguyen Hoang were in top physical condition, the duo were often selected by the coaches.
This is understandable, because the two players...Lam River, Nghe AnThese players regularly featured in the 2023/2024 season and delivered good performances. This included 18 matches with 1,231 minutes for Tran Nam Hai and 9 matches with 688 minutes for Le Nguyen Hoang.
However, this season, injuries have prevented the duo from reaching their peak form. This has significantly reduced the playing time for Tran Nam Hai and Le Nguyen Hoang. Midfielder Tran Nam Hai has only played 3 matches this season, while Le Nguyen Hoang has fared slightly better with 6 appearances in the V.League.
However, whenever they are on the field, this duo doesn't perform particularly well. A prime example is their disappointing performance in the 5-0 loss to The Cong Viettel. It's safe to say that their lack of optimal physical condition and inconsistent form are increasingly diminishing their chances of being in the starting lineup.
Especially now, the central defensive pairing of Hoang Van Khanh and Sebastian Zaracho is providing solidity to the Nghe An team's defense. Along with that, the progress of center-back Le Van Thanh means that Le Nguyen Hoang or Tran Nam Hai are only the 4th or 5th choice.
Infrequent playing time means that this duo doesn't have many opportunities to compete and gain experience. It also reduces their chances of impressing the coaching staff of the Vietnam U22 team. Therefore, the absence of Tran Nam Hai and Le Nguyen Hoang from this training camp of the Vietnam U22 team is completely understandable.
There are still many matches left in the V.League and the National Cup. As long as this duo tries to improve their form, there will still be plenty of opportunities to play. Especially in the final stages of the season, the schedule will be quite packed, so coach Phan Như Thuật will have to rotate the squad to ensure the players' fitness.
Therefore, if Le Nguyen Hoang and Tran Nam Hai improve their form in the coming period, they can certainly compete for a starting spot, thereby making a good impression on the coaching staff.Vietnam U22 team.
Besides Le Nguyen Hoang and Tran Nam Hai, fans from Nghe An province regret the absence of Le Dinh Long Vu from this training camp of the Vietnam U22 team.
The 18-year-old midfielder has had very impressive performances recently. Two assists in 12 appearances this season is not a bad number for Le Dinh Long Vu. Fans believe that if he continues to maintain this good form, sooner or later the midfielder wearing jersey number 38 will be included in the Vietnam U22 squad for future training camps.