Coach Park closes 25 Vietnamese players to Laos

The four eliminated players include goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang (SLNA), defender Nguyen Thanh Nhan (HAGL), striker Pham Dinh Duy (Da Nang) and Ha Duc Chinh (Binh Dinh). All four players cannot compete with the rest of the faces in terms of quality and experience.

Among the 25 players who went to Laos, Nguyen Hai Huy and Khuat Van Khang were backup plans, because Doan Van Hau and Nguyen Hoang Duc were not in the best shape.

The initial list of this gathering of Vietnam includes 31 players. After a friendly match against Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on November 30, midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang said goodbye to the team due to his unsatisfactory condition. Central defender of the Da Nang Club Luong Duy Cuong was also disqualified due to his lack of expertise.

Coach Park decided to retain three goalkeepers, Dang Van Lam, Tran Nguyen Manh and Nguyen Van Toan. The fact that Van Toan was chosen was a surprise because he lost his official position to Dinh Trieu and did not play a minute for Hai Phong in the 2022 season. His recent matches have all taken place in the national team shirt. In the friendly match Vietnam beat Dortmund 2-1 on November 30, Van Toan was still ranked as the main player and played for 82 minutes.

The list of 25 players with four names did not attend the friendly match against the Philippines 1-0 yesterday, December 14, including Quang Hai, Doan Van Hau, Hoang Duc and Ho Tan Tai. The case of Quang Hai just reunited with the team this morning on December 15 after a long flight from France. Van Hau and Hoang Duc are injured and are expected to return tomorrow, and Tan Tai has a sad family situation, so he did not practice the last two sessions. However, all four are the best players in their positions and are almost certain to start when they return.

The Vietnamese team only practiced at the hotel gym this morning. Tomorrow, December 16, the team will practice for the last time in Hanoi before moving to Laos the next morning on December 17.

The team has four days to prepare before entering the opening match against Laos at 19:30 on December 21. In the AFF Cup 2020, coach Park Hang-seo's teachers and students once won Laos 2-0 in the opening match.

- Goalkeeper (3): Dang Van Lam (Binh Dinh), Tran Nguyen Manh (Viettel), Nguyen Van Toan (Hai Phong)

Defenders (10): Que Ngoc Hai (SLNA), Doan Van Hau, Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Bui Hoang Viet Anh (Hanoi FC), Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Thanh Binh (Viettel), Nguyen Phong Hong Duy, Vu Van Thanh (HAGL), Ho Tan Tai (Binh Dinh)

Midfielders (8): Nguyen Quang Hai (Pau FC), Do Hung Dung (Hanoi FC), Nguyen Hoang Duc, Khuat Van Khang (Viettel), Phan Van Duc (SLNA), Nguyen Tuan Anh (HAGL), Nguyen Hai Huy, Chau Ngoc Quang (Hai Phong)

- Strikers (4): Nguyen Van Quyet, Pham Tuan Hai (Hanoi FC), Nguyen Tien Linh (Binh Duong), Nguyen Van Toan (HAGL).