Viet Nam's U-23 football team will gather together on September 11 to start intensive training in preparation for the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.
Viet Nam's U-23 football team will gather together on September 11 to start intensive training in preparation for the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.
The Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) has called up 40 players to train at HCM City's Thanh Long Sports Centre, from which head coach Falko Goetz will select 26.
However, injuries are proving a headache.
Nguyen Thanh Long Giang is out until the end of the year with a torn ligament, leaving a large hole in the team's midfield.
Goetz has tried several replacements including Van Nam and Thanh Hao, but none have performed convincingly enough to earn his trust.
Goalkeepers are also a problem. Despite his age, youngster Nguyen Tuan Manh has established himself as first choice for two-time V-League winners Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
He was called up to play in the recent Olympic qualifiers, but failed to impress after a series of blunders.
Tran Buu Ngoc has also been called up in the VFF's provisional squad, but the Dong Thap's keeper has been struggling for first team football.
Viet Nam's other option is Nguyen Tan Truong, but he was a fault for the goal that led to the loss against Malaysia in the final of the 25th SEA Games in Laos two years ago, following a mix up with his teammates. In addition, the team will have less time together than their rivals. Goetz and his players will start training on September 11, while Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and hosts Indonesia have been hard at work already for one month.
However, Viet Nam can take heart in a strong midfield.
The line-up includes experienced players such as Van Hoan of V-League champions Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA), who gave top national striker Le Cong Vinh no room to score during the so-called final match of the premier league last week.
Youngsters Quoc Long of Ha Noi T&T and Ngoc Anh of Nam Dinh also proved powerful during the national football season which ended on August 21.
The nation's attacking midfielders are also very influential. They have the speed, skill and tactics to mastermind dangerous attacks.
Captain Nguyen Thanh Luong of Ha Noi ACB is an outstanding example.
The diminutive Luong has been an important player for his club and the U-23 team in recent years. The Hanoian has a lot of experience in international tournaments, and has scored a number of important goals.
Luong picked up a thigh injury in the last game of the season 10 days ago, but is expected to recover within a month.
He will pair up with SLNA's Nguyen Trong Hoang at November's SEA Games.
Goetz is spoilt for choice up front, with SLNA's Van Binh, T&T's Van Quyet and SHB Da Nang's Nguyen Sa all more than capable of standing in should they need to.
Viet Nam will take part in two tournaments in preparation for the SEA Games, starting with HCM City's International Football Tournament from October 20-24, where they will meet U-23 teams from Singapore and Syria, and a South Korean student team.
They will then move on to a VFF Football Tournament which will gather U-23 teams from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia from October 19.
The Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) has called up 40 players to train at HCM City's Thanh Long Sports Centre, from which head coach Falko Goetz will select 26.
However, injuries are proving a headache.
Nguyen Thanh Long Giang is out until the end of the year with a torn ligament, leaving a large hole in the team's midfield.
Goetz has tried several replacements including Van Nam and Thanh Hao, but none have performed convincingly enough to earn his trust.
Goalkeepers are also a problem. Despite his age, youngster Nguyen Tuan Manh has established himself as first choice for two-time V-League winners Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
He was called up to play in the recent Olympic qualifiers, but failed to impress after a series of blunders.
Tran Buu Ngoc has also been called up in the VFF's provisional squad, but the Dong Thap's keeper has been struggling for first team football.
Viet Nam's other option is Nguyen Tan Truong, but he was a fault for the goal that led to the loss against Malaysia in the final of the 25th SEA Games in Laos two years ago, following a mix up with his teammates. In addition, the team will have less time together than their rivals. Goetz and his players will start training on September 11, while Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and hosts Indonesia have been hard at work already for one month.
However, Viet Nam can take heart in a strong midfield.
The line-up includes experienced players such as Van Hoan of V-League champions Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA), who gave top national striker Le Cong Vinh no room to score during the so-called final match of the premier league last week.
Youngsters Quoc Long of Ha Noi T&T and Ngoc Anh of Nam Dinh also proved powerful during the national football season which ended on August 21.
The nation's attacking midfielders are also very influential. They have the speed, skill and tactics to mastermind dangerous attacks.
Captain Nguyen Thanh Luong of Ha Noi ACB is an outstanding example.
The diminutive Luong has been an important player for his club and the U-23 team in recent years. The Hanoian has a lot of experience in international tournaments, and has scored a number of important goals.
Luong picked up a thigh injury in the last game of the season 10 days ago, but is expected to recover within a month.
He will pair up with SLNA's Nguyen Trong Hoang at November's SEA Games.
Goetz is spoilt for choice up front, with SLNA's Van Binh, T&T's Van Quyet and SHB Da Nang's Nguyen Sa all more than capable of standing in should they need to.
Viet Nam will take part in two tournaments in preparation for the SEA Games, starting with HCM City's International Football Tournament from October 20-24, where they will meet U-23 teams from Singapore and Syria, and a South Korean student team.
They will then move on to a VFF Football Tournament which will gather U-23 teams from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia from October 19.
(Source: VNS)
