What can U23 Vietnam do when returning to their clubs?

First of all, goalkeeper Van Toan, who started without conceding any goals in the 31st SEA Games and the opening match against U23 Thailand (but with a sad "incident" leading to injury and having to rest afterwards), when returning to Hai Phong Club, will he be able to secure a place as usual in the port city team or not, is something that cannot be said in advance? Perhaps this goalkeeper's path back to the Vietnam National Team will be more or less questioned, but with Hai Phong Club, he is likely to still have the full trust of the coaching staff and teammates.

This weekend, when Hai Phong plays round 5 against Saigon FC at Lach Tray, everything will be clear. Meanwhile, Van Chuan has improved quite a bit after being assigned to the AFC U23 Championship, having just been named in the Hanoi FC squad for the make-up round 3 against Nam Dinh but will definitely be fixed at the second reserve position behind Van Cong and Tan Truong.

U23 Vietnam.

In defense, while Thanh Binh continuously played in Viettel's squad in AFC Cup 2022, Viet Anh and Tien Long (injured) were given a break in the match between Hanoi FC and Nam Dinh mentioned above. Van Do also played from the start in the match in V-League 2-2022, Pho Hien met the People's Public Security (CAND), but sadly, this star received a red card very early after a tackle considered rough on the opponent. Among the main stars of U23 when returning to the club, there were also Manh Dung and Danh Trung of Viettel, who went from being a reserve in the first match to starting in the second match in AFC Cup. Manh Dung scored 1 goal but then did not really stand out, while Danh Trung did not show anything outstanding despite being highly expected when playing against an opponent of equal strength.

Also in V-League 2-2022, in the match where Van Do received a red card, midfielder Cong Den (Pho Hien) scored a goal to equalize 1-1 for the home team after losing a player and taking the lead. Meanwhile, striker Minh Binh of CAND did not contribute to the away team's 2 opening goals and did not help the home team take advantage, but instead had to tie the match 2-2, which was very regrettable. At the same time, Dak Lak Club of defender Tuan Tai with "one swallow does not make a spring" was also overwhelmed by the away team Hue and won 1-2.

It should also be added that in the V-League 1-2022 round 3 make-up match at Thien Truong Stadium, the two players who did not stay until the end of the U23 Vietnam squad, Van Toi (Hanoi FC) and Xuan Tan (Nam Dinh), were able to play the full 90 minutes and played well. Not to mention, strikers Xuan Tu and Van Dat were eliminated by the U23 Vietnam coaches before, but were continuously allowed to play in the Hai Phong Four-Hero Cup and the aforementioned make-up match, even though it was only for the last few minutes of the match.

Meanwhile, the young HAGL players were also tested in the Hai Phong Four-Hero Cup. Bao Toan played quite aggressively, scoring 2 beautiful goals in the loss to Hanoi FC (2-4), the comeback win against Viettel (2-1). At the Nghe An Four-Hero Cup, the U23 players of SLNA also made impressive performances such as Van Viet assisted, Manh Quynh, Van Cuong scored in the 6-0 victory of the Vinh team against the neighbor Dong A Thanh Hoa...

In short, there is not much to say about the U23 players on the main field of V-League 1,2-2022, but the hope that they will be trusted and have the opportunity to prove their talent at their home club is actually very little as mentioned above. This harsh long-distance race generally has no room for experimentation, so a persistent attitude is needed, waiting for every opportunity, no matter how small, of every young talent. And what will come will come when the foreign coaches in the Vietnam National Team as well as U23 Vietnam always have an objective, proactive, and responsible view, so there is absolutely no fear of being abandoned or misjudged if the insiders really try and are open-minded in all circumstances...