A new hope finally beckons
Along, long time ago in a tournament far, far away in Changzhou, a band of young warriors wearing red, led by Master Park Hang-seo, went into the cold white snow to battle for glory. Though the victory was snatched in the final moments, the warriors held their heads high, knowing they had inspired millions, and returned home heroes.
Now, six years later, a new chapter of this story began, in the golden desert of Qatar, in a place where the greatest of all time was crowned king of the world.
With master Park having ridden off into the sunset, a new master emerged to lead a new legion of warriors for the conquest of glory.
His name? Hoàng Anh Tuấn.
Master Tuấn, a veteran in the field of coaching, holds the most certificates and licences of any Vietnamese coach and even was selected by the German Football Association to train in Hennef Sports Academy.
Tuấn also led Việt Nam to their first ever 11-a-side World Cup, by guiding Việt Nam U20 to the 2016 AFC U20 Asian Cup semi-finals, which was a feat that not many people remember. Almost all the Việt Nam U20 squad that went to the World Cup went on to become cornerstones in the renaissance of Vietnamese football that followed, which includes Nguyễn Quang Hải, Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, Bùi Tiến Dũng, Đoàn Văn Hậu, Trần Đình Trọng and Nguyễn Tiến Linh.
The group of warriors following Tuấn to the U23 Asian Cup, is perhaps Việt Nam's best and brightest young talents, with many V-league starters in the squad.
Midfielder Nguyễn Thái Sơn would be Tuấn's main man in the squad. The 20-year-old was instrumental in Đông Á Thanh Hóa's domestic success last season and was voted V-league's best young player of 2023. Sơn's ability to dictate play and his vision could be crucial for Việt Nam's success.
A name that has risen in the last couple of years is Khuất Văn Khang. The former Việt Nam U20 captain is versatile and can play as either as a winger or an attacking midfielder. His experience in international tournaments could also be very useful, as this is his fifth continental tournament.
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai's latest gem, Nguyễn Quốc Việt has not only quelled Pleiku Stadium's nostalgia for Nguyễn Công Phượng with his quickness and skills but also by his will to improve day by day. The 2003-born striker scored twice in the 2022 AFC U20 Asian Cup, against Australia and Qatar, which brought him into the spotlight.
And last but not least, is the main man in goal, Quan Văn Chuẩn. Chuẩn had the best two years of his career, as he propelled himself into Hà Nội FC'S starting keeper position. Being the record V-league winner's number one brought huge pressure upon the 23-year-old, but Chuẩn quelled them all with his performances, especially in Hà Nội's AFC Champions League campaign.
Besides Sơn, Khang, Việt and Chuẩn are many more names waiting to be brought into the spotlight. With the public interest in Vietnamese football lowest in years, the task for Tuấn's young warriors is even greater than their predecessors: to reclaim the hope of a nation.
But history always suggests, that when the fans' expectations are low, Việt Nam football teams tend to overperform. With the right manager who knows the players well and a young, hungry but well-experienced team, hopes are high.
May the force be with Việt Nam U23 comes on April 17.