Coach Park summons 30 players for Vietnam U22s in preparation for SEA Games

Besides the senior team on preparing for the matches against Malaysia and Indonesia next month in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Vietnam U22s will also have two short summons in Hanoi from September 23 to October 9 and in Ho Chi Minh City from October 10 to 16, with the target of winning the SEA Games gold medal for the first time at the Philippines event.

As the V.League 2 will wrap up this weekend, the Korean strategist is able to summon all the most outstanding faces playing in the second tier professional league. Therefore, the impressive players from newly-crowned champions Hong Linh Ha Tinh or runners-up Pho Hien have been named in Park’s list, including promising overseas Vietnamese player Martin Lo.

The list also features Midfielder Hoang Duc and striker Tien Linh also, who had their slots in the senior squad before returning to the U22 team to beat Chinese rivals 2-0 in a friendly early this month.

Vietnam U22s will gather right after the final 22nd matchday of the V.League 2 ends on Sunday. During the upcoming training camps, Park’s side will have a friendly with UAE U22s at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on October 13. Regarded as a quality team, playing UAE promises to bring valuable experiences for Vietnamese young players, as UAE U22+2 team beat Park’s side in the penalty shoot-out during the bronze medal match at last year’s Asian Games.

Previously, Vietnam U22s had seven short-term training camps. Despite not gathering the best players as star men Quang Hai, Van Hau, Dinh Trong and Thanh Chung have played for the senior team, the U22 squad still gained good results with two 2-0 wins during the last two friendly matches with Myanmar U22s and China U22s.

In their final time together before the 2019 SEA Games, Vietnam U22s are expected to play two matches in the friendly tournament Binh Duong Television (BTV) Cup 2019, scheduled to take place on November 3 and 6, before leaving for the Philippines on November 20. Currently, the BTV Cup organisers are inviting guests to attend the tournament.

At the 30th SEA Games, Vietnam U22s are allowed to add a maximum of two players over the age of 22, so Park will have more choices to strengthen his squad. In addition to the task of winning the SEA Games gold medal, the U22 team will attend the 2020 AFC U23 Championship in Thailand next January as last year’s runners-up.