Coach calls teams for World Cup

Coach Nguyễn Hữu Thắng (right) talks to journalists during a press briefing in Hà Nội to introduce his squad who will train for the World Cup qualifier later this month. 

The former national defender called six forwards, 11 midfielders, 10 defenders and four goalkeepers.

Among the players national reigning champions Becamex Bình Dương FC have the largest number of seven members, followed by Quảng Ninh Coal (five), Hà Nội T&T and Sông Lam Nghệ An (four each).

Their teammates at the former Hoàng Anh Gia Lai FC, Vũ Văn Thanh and Nguyễn Văn Toàn have been called for the first time to the senior squad after several attempts serving the youth teams. At 20, they are also the youngest members of the team.

The oldest one is defender Trương Đình Luật of Becamex Bình Dương, who is 33.

2015 Golden Ball holder Nguyễn Anh Đức also finds a berth in the squad after several years of absence.

Coach Thắng said it was a draft list which would be reviewed and shortlisted to 23.

“There will definitely be changes from this draft after I get them to undergo a medical check-up and test them in training. There is no star in my team because I believe that the whole team produces a star, a star cannot build a team,” Thắng said.

“I cannot make them successful immediately. I need time to shape up the playing style of the team but I want to guide them to focus on rapid and short balls together with a counter-attack,” he said.

“I understand that we have to rejuvenate the team which will be sharp for the tournament from 2017.”

The team will start their 10-day training next Monday before they host Chinese Taipei at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium on March 24.

Five days later they will travel to a neutral venue in Iran to play Iraq.