Shining at the Asian U23 level, young defenders are still overlooked in the Vietnam national team.

Despite impressive performances at the Asian U23 Championship, Vietnam's young defenders have yet to compete for and gain trust in the national team under coach Kim Sang Sik.

Impressive at the Asian U23 arena, but the door to the national team hasn't truly opened for Vietnam's young defenders. Under coach Kim Sang Sik, experience and stability continue to be prioritized, causing the promising next generation to patiently wait.

The 3-1 victory over Malaysia clearly demonstrates the coaching staff's choices. The defense, featuring seasoned names like Duy Manh, Van Hau, Viet Anh, or Tien Anh, operated smoothly, showing the默契 built over years of competition. These are players who established themselves at the national team level very early, forming a solid foundation difficult to replace.

Conversely, the current U23 defenders, despite expectations following positive continental performances, haven't generated enough pressure. In the recent training camp, opportunities were almost only open for a few names like Nhat Minh, while many other players were absent due to injury or simply not being "selected." Even when present, getting playing time wasn't guaranteed.

The biggest limitation of the young defender generation lies in high-level competitive experience. Most haven't had many full seasons in V-League or maintained stable form. Cases like Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, or Phi Hoang have shown potential at times, but haven't been consistent enough to compete squarely with seniors who have experienced AFF Cup, Asian Cup, or World Cup qualifiers.

This reality creates a clear gap between the two generations. Unlike the players who achieved the Changzhou miracle in 2018, who got opportunities when seniors declined and they themselves reached "maturity," the current context is entirely different. The preceding generation maintains high performance, while the next generation hasn't reached the threshold of reliability for replacement.

Nevertheless, the opportunity hasn't closed. Being called up to the national team is already a significant step forward, and the path ahead requires perseverance and continuous effort. As shared by national team players, no favoritism exists in the national team – every position must be earned through ability. For the young defenders, the journey to earn trust is still long, but not impossible.