Vietnam team gathers, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh and Chau Ngoc Quang are very stylish!

By prioritizing the call-up of many young players, Coach Kim Sang-sik clearly shows his orientation: to renew the Vietnamese team, build a young, ambitious team with enough strength to conquer the peaks in a long period of time.

On the afternoon of August 29, the Vietnamese team gathered in Hanoi , entering the training session of the September FIFA Days. Because coach Kim Sang-sik was busy with the U.23 Vietnam team preparing for the U.23 Asia qualifiers, the Vietnamese team will be led by assistant Dinh Hong Vinh and will have two friendly matches with two domestic clubs. The coaching staff has a very new face, former coach of the Ha Tinh team Nguyen Thanh Cong.

Coach Success

New recruit of the national team's coaching staff: Coach Thanh Cong

Hoang Duc is pretty cool

Ly Cong Hoang Anh

Tuan Hai, striker of Hanoi

Cao Pendant Quang Vinh is on the national team for the second time

Center back Thanh Chung

Former HAGL player Chau Ngoc Quang

Q UANG HAI , TIEN LINH TAKES ON THE RESPONSIBILITY

In the list of the 3rd round of the Vietnam national team in 2025, only Doan Ngoc Tan is over 30 years old. The generation of players born in 1995, who turned 30 this year, gradually lost their place. Currently, only 3 players born in 1996 have been called up: Do Duy Manh, Pham Xuan Manh and Chau Ngoc Quang. At this time, the generation of 1997 and 1998, who are at the best age of their careers, will become the "backbone" of the Vietnam national team. Thanh Chung will play the role of the leader of the defense. In the midfield, Hoang Duc and Quang Hai continue to be the 2 important factors to lead the team's play. Meanwhile, Tien Linh is still the number one domestic striker of Vietnamese football.

These players have many years of experience playing for the national team, competing in major tournaments such as the AFF Cup, World Cup qualifiers or Asian Cup. They are entering the prime of their careers, maintaining a strong physical foundation and having the battle experience to lead their juniors. The stability of this generation of players also helps coach Kim Sang-sik feel secure in building the framework and rejuvenating the squad.

According to Transfermarkt , the average age of the Vietnamese team in 2024 is 27.3 years old. In the latest training session, this number is only 26.1 years old. The majority age is 24 - 28. These statistics show that coach Kim Sang-sik is very active in giving opportunities to young players. The Korean strategist always emphasizes the close connection between the national team and U.23 Vietnam. He repeatedly emphasized that those who perform well in U.23 will always have the door to the national team open. That not only motivates young players at the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament or the U.23 Asian qualifiers, but also builds a foundation for long-term development for Vietnamese football.

At this time, a series of U.23 players are qualified to wear the Vietnamese national team jersey, such as Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Pham Ly Duc... In the next training sessions, these will be the factors that play an important role in creating a legacy in the Vietnamese national team, while also bringing healthy competition, promoting the progress of the whole team.

CHALLENGE FOR MR. KIM IN THE TEAM

The difference that coach Kim Sang-sik brings is the long-term rebuilding mindset. Previously, coach Park Hang-seo often trusted familiar factors, despite the fact that they were no longer able to maintain good form. That was part of the reason why Mr. Park was not successful in his last years in office. Now, coach Kim Sang-sik is willing to trade the safety factor to give opportunities to the younger generation.

This approach may cause the team to face difficulties in the short term, especially when facing intense matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. But in the long term, this is the path to help the Vietnamese team have a stable force for many years to come. A new generation of players trained and accumulating international experience early will be an invaluable asset, avoiding generational gaps like those that have occurred in the past.

Of course, the new "era" of the Vietnamese team is not all rosy. A young team means a certain lack of competitive spirit and the ability to maintain stability in big matches. Coach Kim Sang-sik will have to find a way to balance the experience of his seniors with the youth of the next generation, so that the team does not lose balance.

In addition, the pressure to achieve results is always present. After the consecutive successes from 2018 to now, Vietnamese fans still expect the team to maintain its position in the region and reach the continental level. That is both a motivation and a big challenge for the Korean coach in his journey to rejuvenate the squad.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-hoi-quan-cao-pendant-quang-vinh-va-chau-ngoc-quang-rat-phong-cach-185250828211018155.htm