Does Song Lam Nghe An midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien still have a chance in U23 Vietnam?

Dinh Xuan Tien has recovered from his injury and returned to normal training at Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Chung Le

The reason Dinh Xuan Tien was not allowed to play in U20 Asia

In the U20 Vietnam squad participating in the U20 Asian Finals, there are up to 5 players.Lam River Nghe AnThe players who participated included: goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, defender Ho Van Cuong, center back Le Nguyen Hoang, midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien and midfielder Tran Nam Hai. 4 out of the 5 players mentioned above were able to play, only midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien had to sit in the Cabin for 3 matches in the group stage.

Looking back at the U20 Vietnam squad at the U20 Asia finals, coach Hoang Anh Tuan often uses a 5-4-1 formation. With 4 midfielders: Quoc Viet, Duc Phu, Duc Viet and Thanh Nhan. In which, Quoc Viet and Thanh Nhan are arranged to play on the two wings; Duc Viet is a midfielder who tends to play low and takes on the role of blocking; the remaining player Duc Phu plays in the center of midfield and is often tasked with providing the ball to the front line.

Compared to Dinh Xuan Tien, Duc Phu has much less experience in the field. The midfielder under the PVF roster has not yet participated in the V.League arena, only playing in youth tournaments. On the contrary, Xuan Tien has affirmed his brand at Song Lam Nghe An, being a mainstay of this team in the V.League arena. In addition, the player from Nam Dan also possesses good technique, modern football thinking, suitable for short passing style of play.

More notably, a few days before the U20 Asian Cup finals took place, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) homepage posted an article introducing Dinh Xuan Tien of U20 Vietnam as one of the most worth-watching players and one who could create a big surprise at the 2023 U20 Asian Cup finals.

Midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien - National U20 player.

So why was this player not allowed to play in Asia's biggest tournament at the age of 20? Coach Hoang Anh Tuan explained this issue: "Before entering the U20 Asian finals, the most promising player of U20 Vietnam was not Quoc Viet, Van Truong, Thanh Nhan, or Khuat Van Khang, but Dinh Xuan Tien. In Vietnam, Dinh Xuan Tien is the most worth-watching young player at the moment. However, at the U20 Asian finals, Dinh Xuan Tien could not play because he was injured. When he went to Saudi Arabia, he could not practice 100% of the training program. I talked to Dinh Xuan Tien before the matches in the U20 Asian finals, he shared that he could not play at 100% of his form, which was a pity."

Dinh Xuan Tien suffered an injury to his left thigh before the opening match of V.League 2023. He could not play when Song Lam Nghe An met SHB Da Nang and Dong A Thanh Hoa. The midfielder born in 2003 could only enter the field from the bench in two matches of rounds 3 and 4 of V.League, but could not play at high efficiency. However, Dinh Xuan Tien was still called up by coach Hoang Anh Tuan to join U20 Vietnam. According to Mr. Tuan, if Xuan Tien recovers in time, he will be used in the next matches of U20 Asia. Unfortunately, U20 Vietnam stopped early and Xuan Tien did not have the opportunity to show his talent in the tournament where he made a strong impression in the qualifying round.

Dinh Xuan Tien's great opportunity under coach Troussier

After the U20 Asia Championship ended, coach Troussier immediately called up 9 U20 Vietnam players to the U23 Vietnam team to participate in the 2023 Doha Cup Friendly Tournament. Among them were Dinh Xuan Tien, Ho Van Cuong and Cao Van Binh from Song Lam Nghe An. However, for professional reasons, Nghe An Club did not let the above 3 players join U23 Vietnam. It is worth mentioning that although Dinh Xuan Tien has not played in the U20 Asia Finals, he still caught the attention of the French coach.

Dinh Xuan Tien was coached by Troussier at U19 Vietnam.

Explaining this, Dinh Xuan Tien said: “Coach Troussier used to coach me at U19 Vietnam 3 years ago. He saw me play football and believed that I could serve his philosophy well. I think that is the reason why coach Troussier called me up to U23 Vietnam”.

Under coach Troussier, U23 Vietnam has made significant changes compared to his predecessor. The French coach requires his players to actively control the ball, push the formation up high, and shorten the distance between players. In particular, coach Troussier always wants his players to develop the ball from the bottom up, using short rotations.

To do this, players must have basic techniques, good thinking and tactical vision. And Dinh Xuan Tien is one of the players with the right qualities to successfully realize that philosophy.

Recalling the U20 Asian qualifiers, Dinh Xuan Tien was arranged by coach Dinh The Nam to play in the center of midfield. The player from Song Lam Nghe An has shown his ability to be a bridge between the back line and the strikers above. He not only makes high-damage passes, but also has the ability to run and finish very well. And is considered by fans to be a player who can change the game.

Dinh Xuan Tien was injured before the match between Song Lam Nghe An and SHB Da Nang in round 1 of V.League 2023. Photo: Duc Anh

Not being able to eat the national team's meal this time is a disadvantage for Dinh Xuan Tien. However, as coach Troussier once shared, the door is never closed for players who are in good form and suitable for the team's playing style. Thus, Dinh Xuan Tien can absolutely be called back to U23 Vietnam in the training session to prepare for SEA Games 32, if this player achieves high performance at his home club.

Currently, Dinh Xuan Tien has fully recovered from his injury and is training with his teammates at Song Lam Nghe An. “I have recovered from my injury and am back to training with high intensity at Song Lam Nghe An” – Dinh Xuan Tien affirmed.

Song Lam Nghe An will soon compete in the National Cup against Quang Nam and then return to the V.League. Hopefully Dinh Xuan Tien will have a convincing performance in the upcoming matches, thereby being called up to the U23 Vietnam team to attend the 32nd SEA Games./.