On the afternoon of May 17, the Vietnam U19 national football team held their first training session at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. Under the guidance of head coach Hua Hien Vinh, the team will train for over two weeks before departing for the 2024 U19 International Football Tournament in China.
Despite not having a full squad on the first day, as some players are still committed to their club duties, around 20 players participated in the session. Coach Vinh focused on familiar small-group drills and emphasized the importance of teamwork. Assistant coach Cedric Roger assisted in improving the players’ fitness levels.
Taking on the role of head coach for a youth national team for the first time, Hua Hien Vinh expressed both honor and pressure. “It is an honor for me to take over from Coach Hoang Anh Tuan. There is some pressure because the previous teams under Coach Tuan achieved great success. I hope to continue his legacy with the Vietnam U19 team,” Coach Vinh shared.
Discussing the team’s preparations for upcoming major tournaments, the 51-year-old coach noted, “The current U19 Vietnam team has many young talents playing in the V.League. I hope they will continue to develop well and perform excellently for the U19 team and potentially progress to higher levels. The coaching staff has planned not only for the upcoming tournament in China but also for the U19 Southeast Asian Championship and the AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.”
After observing the team, Coach Vinh admitted that the current U19 squad does not have as many standout players as previous generations like Quang Hai and Cong Phuong. “The current U19 Vietnam team does not have many exceptional players like the previous generations of Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Quang Hai. However, this squad has better physical attributes and has been trained to understand the unique playing style of Vietnam’s youth teams. The support from the VFF and regular team gatherings have laid a good foundation for us to hope for strong performances in upcoming tournaments.”
When asked about the team’s playing style, Coach Vinh indicated that there would not be significant changes from the approach under Coach Hoang Anh Tuan. “Having worked with Coach Tuan for nearly a year, I can say that the playing style will not change much. Building on the existing foundation, the coaching staff aims to enhance certain tactical aspects, such as attack speed and utilizing the agility of Vietnamese players,” he explained.
The Vietnam U19 team will continue to train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center with two sessions per day. On June 2, the team will depart for the 2024 U19 International Football Tournament in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, China.
According to the schedule, the Vietnam U19 team will face host China U19 in the opening match on June 4, followed by South Korea U19 on June 7 and Uzbekistan U19 on June 10.
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