Xuan Son missed out on Vietnam National Team's executive committee in November

The Vietnam national team announced its November executive committee: Duy Manh holds the captain's armband, and the two vice-captains are Quang Hai and Hoang Duc. Xuan Son was not named, thus missing out on the honor that was expected to be open to naturalized players in the Vietnam national team.

Vietnam National Team Executive Committee November

According to the latest announcement, the executive committee structure includes:

• Captain:Duy Manh
• Deputy Team Leader:Quang Hai, Hoang Duc

Previously, fans expected Xuan Son to be given the responsibility to both create more motivation to compete and become a connecting thread with the group of foreign players in the team.

Pendant Quang Vinh and recent historical milestones

During the October training session, coach Kim Sang Sik surprised everyone by naming Pendant Quang Vinh as a member of the executive committee. The French-Vietnamese defender is one of two vice-captains alongside Hoang Duc, along with captain Duy Manh. This is the first time in history that a Vietnamese-American player has been selected as a member of the Vietnam national team executive committee.

Pendant Quang Vinh even played for the Vietnam national team after Xuan Son, only starting in June this year after completing the naturalization procedures and being eligible to play. In the match against Nepal, after Duy Manh entered the field in the 84th minute, the captaincy was handed over to Pendant Quang Vinh, helping him become the first overseas Vietnamese player in the history of the Vietnam national team to wear the captain's armband.

Strategic Depth: Diversifying Personnel and the Bridging Role

Pendant Quang Vinh’s selection shows that coach Kim Sang Sik wants to further diversify the Vietnamese national team in the future. With the language and cultural characteristics, a player with international experience can act as a bridge between overseas Vietnamese players in the national team or naturalized players in the future.

In that context, the fact that Xuan Son has not been present in the executive committee is a notable detail. Since his naturalization, he has been considered the most important player of the team. However, Xuan Son's ability to speak both Vietnamese and English is still a limitation that he needs to improve to communicate better with his teammates if he aims for the role of vice-captain or captain.

Notable numbers and timelines

• November: The executive committee includes captain Duy Manh; vice captains Quang Hai and Hoang Duc.
• October: Pendant Quang Vinh is the vice-captain, the first time an overseas Vietnamese player is on the Vietnam National Team's executive committee.
• June: Pendant Quang Vinh started playing for the Vietnam national team after completing naturalization procedures.
• Minute 84 (against Nepal): The captain's armband was given to Pendant Quang Vinh after Duy Manh entered the field; a historic milestone for a Vietnamese-American player wearing the captain's armband.

Prospects

Fans expect that in the next training sessions, Xuan Son can be given important responsibilities in the executive committee. In the short term, improving communication in the dressing room will be the key if he wants to get closer to a leadership role in the national team.