Overseas Vietnamese star on the bench for the U23 Vietnam vs Laos match

Coach Kim Sang Sik let Vietnamese-Russian midfielder Viktor Le sit on the bench in the match between Vietnam U23 team and Laos U23 team at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

Starting lineup of U23 Vietnam against U23 Laos - Graphics: AN BINH

On the afternoon of July 19, Coach Kim Sang Sik announced the starting lineup of the Vietnam U23 team for the opening match against Laos U23 in Group B of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship taking place at 5:00 p.m. in Indonesia.

It is noteworthy that the Korean coach let Vietnamese-American star Viktor Le sit on the bench in this match, despite the midfielder's good form recently.

Not to mention Viktor Le also scored in a closed friendly match with U23 Taiwan in Ba Ria - Vung Tau before the U23 Vietnam team went to Indonesia.

In the goalkeeper position, coach Kim Sang Sik put his trust in Trung Kien instead of Cao Van Binh or Nguyen Tan. This is not surprising because Trung Kien has the best height (1m91) and a lot of experience.

Trung Kien has been a regular starter for Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC in the 2024-2025 V-League. He has also played for the Vietnam national team since the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

The three central defenders are Pham Ly Duc, Hieu Minh and Nhat Minh. Compared to the CFA China Team 2025 International Friendly Tournament in March, Ly Duc is a replacement for Le Van Ha. Ly Duc's experience at Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club and the Vietnam national team makes him superior to the other central defenders.

In the midfield, coach Kim Sang Sik arranged the central midfielder pair Thai Son - Van Truong. The two wingers are captain Khuat Van Khang (left) and Phi Hoang (right).

The three strikers are Dinh Bac (left), Quoc Viet, Anh Quan (right). The presence of Anh Quan is quite surprising and may bring a breakthrough in the playing style of U23 Vietnam.

Back to topic

NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngoi-sao-viet-kieu-du-bi-tran-u23-viet-nam-dau-lao-20250719133503398.htm