Van Truong suffers ligament injury, U22 Vietnam faces concerns ahead of SEA Games 33

Not only was the U22 Vietnam team defeated 0-1 by U22 South Korea at the CFA Team China – Panda Cup 2025, but the injury to captain midfielder Van Truong has also caused new concerns for coach Kim Sang Sik.

Yesterday afternoon (November 18), coach Kim Sang Sik was still in Laos with the Vietnam national team for their final training session preparing for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, all matters concerning the U22 Vietnam team, tactical strategies, and player selections were reported by acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh.

Of course, due to the nature of this preparatory tournament forSEA Games 33coach Dinh Hong Vinh used different lineups across the three matches. After replacing 7 starters in the previous game, in the match against U22 South Korea, U22 Vietnam fielded 8 new starters, keeping only goalkeeper Trung Kien, Nguyen Van Truong, and Nguyen Dinh Bac.

Notably, the defensive line in front of goalkeeper Trung Kien was formed by a brand-new center-back trio: Van Ha, Tuan Phong, and Duc Anh. The main attacking trio consisted of Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, and Quoc Viet; midfield was occupied by Thai Son and Van Truong, while Anh Quan and Van Khang played on the wings. Against a stronger opponent, U22 Vietnam had to play deep and endure pressure. For most of the match, the defense remained alert and successfully blocked many attacks from U22 South Korea.

In the 32nd minute, from a free-kick combination on the left side, Kang Seong Jin crossed the ball to a teammate who headed strategically, setting up striker Kim Myeong Jun to head past Trung Kien, breaking the deadlock and scoring the opening goal for U22 South Korea.