New national squad announced

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) will submit a list of 22 players of the national team in preparation for the forthcoming VTV-T&T Cup in Hanoi from April 16. 

As per the draw last month, Viet Nam”s squad will challenge Uzbekistan in the opening match at My Dinh Stadium.

It”s the first tournament of the year pitting strong U-23 teams from Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam against each other in a round-robin for the championship.

After discussing with coaching staff, Austrian coach Alfred Riedl decided on his main players, who succeeded in last year”s Honda Cup.

V-League side Pjico Song Lam Nghe An received the largest representation on the list with six players, while Song Da Nam Dinh followed closely with four members.

Goalkeepers Bui Quang Huy of Song Da Nam Dinh (SD-ND), Duong Hong Son from Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) and Nguyen The Anh from Binh Duong made the cut.

Seven defenders heading to the training session include SD-ND”s Phung Van Nhien, Nguyen Van Bien, SLNA”s Nguyen Huy Hoang and Tran Minh Duc, two-time V-League champions Hoang Anh Gia Lai”s Nguyen Duy Hoang, along with Huynh Quang Thanh from Binh Duong and Nguyen Manh Dung from Da Nang.

Coaching staff took time assessing their team”s weakness by including eight midfielders in the selection process and board members Mai Duc Chung, Tran Cong Minh and Pham Van Hung hope their gamble will pay off.

Midfielders selected include Thach Bao Khanh of The Cong, or Army team, Le Hong Minh from Da Nang, V-League defending champion Gach Dong Tam-Long An”s Nguyen Hoang Thuong, Phan Van Tai Em, Nguyen Minh Phuong along with Binh Duong”s Tran Truong Giang, Nguyen Vu Phong and Nguyen Quy Suu from Dong Thap.

Strikers to be welcomed to the boot camp are Binh Duong”s Nguyen Anh Duc, SLNA”s Le Cong Vinh and Phan Thanh Binh from Dong Thap.

Mitsustar Haier Hai Phong”s Dang Van Thanh, who suffered an injury in a V-League match last week, is still on the list, however will be replaced by Thanh Nguyen from SD-ND if he does not recover before the team”s training session.

The team will have an initial training session at My Dinh next Monday.

According to VFF, Australia”s U-23 team has registered their official 27-player squad with coach Graham Arnold, an assistant of national team coach, Guss Hiddink.

The team will include five players, Jacob Timpano, Ruben Zadkovich, Mark Milligan, Justin Pasfield and Tolgay Oxbey from Sydney club, who won the national championships.

Nick Ward from Perth Glory, voted Best Young player of Australia, will join the squad competing in the VTV Cup. VNS