Coach Park announces squad for World Cup qualifiers

Coach Park Hang-seo announces a list of 29 players to compete at the 2022 World Cup's second qualifier in the UAE next month. — Photo courtesy of VFF.

HÀ NỘI — Coach Park Hang-seo has announced a squad of 29 players to travel to the UAE for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The squad includes three goalkeepers, 11 defenders, 11 midfielders and four strikers.

Among them, 27 have been together in a training camp in Ha Noi since early this month. Đặng Văn Lâm who will join the team in Dubai after departing from Japan, where he plays for Cerezo Osaka FC, on May 26.

The other player not in the camp is midfielder Nguyễn Hai Long who is in the U22 squad. Long, 20, of Than Quảng Ninh together with defender Nguyễn Thanh Bình of Viettel are the two youngest players in the squad.

Defender Đoàn Văn Hậu of Hà Nội FC and midfielder Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng of Viettel both made the team despite having recently recovered from injury. 

Veteran Hoàng and defender Trần Đình Trọng of Hà Nội will be ineligible for the first match against Indonesia due to suspension.

Midfielder Trần Minh Vương of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) finally won Park's trust and made the squad after struggling to breakthrough in recent years.

The rest of the team are all key players who have been regular faces such as strikers Nguyễn Công Phượng and Nguyễn Văn Toàn of HAGL, and Nguyễn Tiến Linh of Becamex Bình Dương; midfielders Nguyễn Quang Hải of Hà Nội, Phan Văn Đức of Sông Lam Nghệ An, and Lương Xuân Trường and Nguyễn Tuấn Anh of HAGL; and defenders Đỗ Duy Mạnh of Hà Nội, Quế Ngọc Hải and Bùi Tiến Dũng both of Viettel.

The Vietnamese squad will leave for Dubai tomorrow, seven days earlier than the other teams. They will stay in a hotel and have their own training plan before joining other squads of Group G at the Crowne Plaza Dubai Hotel from June 3-16.

All the travelling party will be tested on arrival for COVID-19 and must then quarantine in their hotel room until they receive a negative result. Players will then be tested after every four to five days.

Also because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams are allowed to finalise their 23-man matchday squad 90 minutes prior to kick-off.

Việt Nam, who are currently on top of Group G, will play Indonesia on June 7, Malaysia on June 11 and the hosts four days later. The matches, which all begin at 11.45pm Viet Nam time, will be shown live on VTV5 and VTV6. — VNS