Quế Ngọc Hải is expected to shine at the friendly matches with Thailand and Russia during the FIFA Days in September. Photo vietnamnet.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI — Coach Kim Sang-sik has just announced the list of players for the Vietnamese national team's FIFA Days training session in September, notably including the return of players Quế Ngọc Hải and Phan Văn Đức after recovering from their injuries.

These two names are both players who performed exceptionally well under the previous coach, Park Hang-seo, and are expected to continue to affirm their value in the time of coach Kim. They are expected to be valuable assets in helping coach Kim gradually shape the framework of the national team, as they prepare for friendly matches with Thailand and Russia in September and the ASEAN Cup 2024 campaign.

Statistics show the Vietnamese team conceded fewer goals whenever defender Hải played. The Vietnamese team's defensive strategy had been stable for about four years under coach Park's tenure. The defenders that coach Park favoured, in addition to Hải, include Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Bùi Tiến Dũng and Trần Đình Trọng.

When coach Philippe Troussier led the Vietnamese team following Park's departure, the structure of the defence was disrupted, leading to unexpected results.

Therefore, as soon as he took charge of the Vietnamese team, coach Kim sought to rebuild a familiar playing style with a solid defence. But during his debut in the two matches against the Philippines and Iraq in June in the second qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Kim did not have enough players, and the absence of Hải left a significant gap.

Without a solid and cohesive defence, the Vietnamese team, despite having one win and one loss in the first two matches under coach Kim, conceded five goals. Using Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh to replace Hải was a suitable solution, but Anh was still inferior to his senior Hải in terms of tenacity, cunning and the ability to launch attacks.

In this training session, the return of Hải has helped coach Kim feel much more secure about the Vietnamese national team's defence. Against the high-calibre Russian and Thai teams, Hải's leadership qualities have become even more necessary.

On the attacking line, Văn Toàn's ankle injury has unfortunately forced him to miss the Vietnamese national team training session. Although he is not an exceptional striker, his playing style is highly favoured by head coaches. Possessing speed and technique, Toàn often makes a difference every time he enters the field from the bench.

Coach Kim has therefore given Phan Văn Đức a chance to return. Đức's impressive goal and performance in Hà Nội Police's 2-1 win over Buriram in the 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship completely convinced the head coach of the Vietnamese team's spirit.

Like Hải, Đức spent years at the peak of his performance under the guidance of coach Park. But after being injured for nearly two years, he has been continuously absent from the Vietnamese team.

According to experts, Đức is still one of the best attacking midfielders in Việt Nam. Not only does he have the ability to score goals as fast as a real striker, but his strength also lies in his ability to support the defence very well.

As scheduled, Việt Nam will play friendly matches with Thailand and Russia during the FIFA Days in September at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hà Nội. All Vietnamese team matches will take place at 7.30pm, with the match against Russia scheduled for September 5 and the match with Thailand on September 10.

This is the first time since 2019 that Thailand and Việt Nam have had a friendly match. Back then, the Vietnamese team were invited to participate in the King's Cup of Thailand and won 1-0 in the group stage under the leadership of South Korean coach Park Hang-seo.

FIFA and UEFA have banned the Russian team from participating in international tournaments, but it can still play friendlies.

Because the matches are held during the FIFA Days, both Việt Nam and Thailand will field their strongest squads. The Thai team are expected to call back a series of players currently playing abroad to participate in the upcoming match in Hà Nội. VNS