'Youth King' Quoc Viet is facing difficulties at a turning point in his career, will he miss the SEA Games?

At both Ninh Binh Club and Vietnam U.23 team, Quoc Viet is facing many difficulties in competing for a starting position.

What happened to Quoc Viet

In June, Quoc Viet was called up to the Vietnam national team to prepare for the match against Malaysia in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup after Cong Phuong was injured and forced to leave the team. That proves that coach Kim Sang-sik saw the value of the player who grew up at the Nutifood training center.

Under coach Kim Sang-sik, Quoc Viet's mark on U.23 Vietnam is relatively pale.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

But since then, Quoc Viet has had almost no chance to show his ability. In V-League 2025-2026, he has only been on the field from the bench twice and has not contributed significantly to the overall performance of Ninh Binh Club. The attacking players of "The Mountain Goats" such as Gustato, Daniel, Geovane or Pham Gia Hung are playing very explosively, so Quoc Viet is not given priority.

In the U.23 Vietnam team, Quoc Viet only plays a "supporting role". In the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, the strikers prioritized for use are Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Cong Phuong, Le Viktor, then Ngoc My, Van Thuan. In the 2026 Asian U.23 qualifiers, after 2 matches, Quoc Viet is the only striker not used by coach Kim Sang-sik. When Thanh Nhan returns, the competition for the attack of the U.23 Vietnam team in general and for Quoc Viet in particular will become more fierce.

Quoc Viet must "sprint"

Everything is too difficult for Quoc Viet at the age of 23, the age when a potential young player needs to explode to gradually "transform" into a big star. At Ninh Binh Club, foreign strikers like Gustavo, Daniel or Geovane are showing destructive form, continuously scoring and winning the trust of the coaching team from Spain. Their ideal physique, strength and top-level playing experience create too big a barrier for a young player like Quoc Viet. Although he has good technique and finishing ability, his short stature puts him at a disadvantage in one-on-one and aerial duels. Therefore, Quoc Viet is only a backup plan. He has to take advantage of opportunities and perform well every time he enters the field to maintain his form.

Quoc Viet needs to make more efforts.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Besides, the challenge for Quoc Viet in the U.23 Vietnam team is also very big. Coach Kim Sang-sik has shaped the playing style for the whole team and almost stabilized the framework. In the wing positions, the Korean strategist has Thanh Nhan, Van Khang, Ngoc My, Van Thuan. Meanwhile, Le Viktor, Dinh Bac, Cong Phuong are the players who will be placed as strikers or second strikers. Quoc Viet has the ability to play in all 3 positions on the attack line, but in each position, he lacks a little to become the best. He lacks a little bit of the power to sweep and decisiveness to be the number 1 drill on the wing, and lacks a little bit of the ability to withstand impact, shield, and keep the ball to play as a striker.

The pressure on Quoc Viet is great as SEA Games 33 is approaching. If Tran Thanh Trung integrates quickly, Bui Vi Hao returns... then the opportunity for the striker from Hai Phong will be even smaller. In order not to miss this important "train", Quoc Viet needs to prove his worth right now, by taking advantage of every small opportunity at both Ninh Binh Club and U.23 Vietnam.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vua-giai-tre-quoc-viet-gap-kho-truoc-khuc-cua-su-nghiep-lieu-co-lo-sea-games-185250907184530646.htm