Vietnam national team defender speaks directly about physical condition and competition pressure

Young defender Nguyen Nhat Minh states that practicing with the more experienced members of the Vietnam national team is a precious chance to gain knowledge, build experience, and compete for a place in the ASEAN Cup 2026 tournament.

On the afternoon of June 26, the Vietnam national team continued with their fourth training session at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center, as part of their preparation for the ASEAN Cup 2026. The training atmosphere is generally maintained at a steady intensity, with the coaching staff focusing on both tactical drills and adjusting the players' physical condition after a long season.

During this session, some players such as Do Duy Manh, Ngo Dang Khoa, and Khuat Van Khang still had to train separately following recovery programs. In contrast, center-back Nguyen Thanh Chung was able to return to normal training with the entire squad, helping to stabilize the team's numbers. Coach Kim Sang Sik's coaching staff continues to closely monitor each individual's fitness levels to ensure quality performance.

Before the training session, young defender Nguyen Nhat Minh shared his feelings with the media about this gathering period. This is the second time the Hai Phong FC player has been called up to the national team, following the FIFA Days in March, marking an important step in his development at the team level.

Nhat Minh frankly acknowledged that the current training conditions are affected by the weather and the break between seasons. He stated: “The V.League and National Cup have just ended after a long season. Many of my teammates are still tired, and on top of that, the weather in Hanoi is quite hot, so it more or less affects the training process.”

Additionally, the young defender affirmed his readiness in terms of physical condition and competitive mindset: “As a young player, I think I have a good fitness foundation and am always ready to serve the team.” At the same time, he highly valued the overall adaptation process of the whole team, given that the gathering period has only just begun: “We’ve only had a few training sessions, so the whole team is still adapting together. The coaching staff and players always support each other to make the sessions as effective as possible.”

Notably, Nhat Minh sees training with experienced seniors as a crucial opportunity to accumulate high-level competitive experience. He emphasized: “Training with the seniors is a very good chance for me to learn. I don’t see it as pressure but as motivation to push myself harder every day.” His immediate goal is to compete for a spot in the tournament squad: “My goal is to train well so that I have a chance to be included in the squad for the tournament. As for the next goals, I will continue to strive in the coming time.”

According to the plan, the Vietnam national team will continue training in Hanoi until July 1 before heading to South Korea for a training camp from July 2 to July 14, in order to refine their playing style and improve physical condition ahead of the major tournament.