Vietnam U23 and the special plan for the Croatian-Vietnamese prodigy

Antonio Moric has been promoted from the U19 team to train with Vietnam U23 for a week, allowing the coaching staff to directly assess his adaptability, thereby serving the long-term screening and team-building plan.

On March 17 afternoon, the Vietnam U23 team officially gathered at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center to prepare for the friendly tournament in China later this month. Interim head coach Dinh Hong Vinh stated that this squad mainly consists of young players who have had limited playing time over the past year, aiming at long-term goals for important tasks in 2026.

Mr. Vinh emphasized: "This time, Vietnam U23 mostly comprises all the young players, and they have had little playing time over the past year. This is also the group of players planned for tasks in 2026, including the ASIAD in September." Notably, the inclusion of Vietnamese-origin player Antonio Moric has become a focal point in the coaching staff's evaluation and screening plan.

According to information from the Vietnam Football Federation, this forward born in 2008 has been transferred from Vietnam U19 to train with U23 for a short period to test his adaptability. Moric is currently under contract with NK Trnje Club (Croatia), stands 1.81m tall, and can play versatilely in various attacking and midfield positions.

Regarding this case, Coach Dinh Hong Vinh shared: "Moric is a Vietnamese-origin player and has been part of the plan. This time, we decided to rotate Moric from the U19 team to train with the U23 team for about a week. This is an opportunity to test and better prepare the squad for the future." He also stressed that bringing Moric to U23 is a necessary testing step in an environment with higher professional demands.

Providing more specific evaluation, the strategist of Vietnam U23 added: "At this point, we cannot fully assess Moric's capabilities. However, with the initial plan, I have built a roadmap including Moric and hope he will perform well in the coming time." This shows the coaching staff remains cautious but had prepared beforehand for this special factor.

Antonio Moric was born in Hanoi, has a Croatian father and a Vietnamese mother, and already holds a Vietnamese passport, thus qualifying to represent national teams at various levels. Previously, he trained with Vietnam U19 and will return to that team after U23 departs for the CFA Team China 2026 tournament in China.

Besides Moric's story, Coach Dinh Hong Vinh also expressed regret that forward Nguyen Le Phat had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. "Phat is a good player, I am very sorry he is absent from this training camp. Yesterday we learned Le Phat had a shoulder injury, which also affects the playing style and team formation planning for the upcoming national team," he shared.

In closing, the interim head coach of Vietnam U23 affirmed that the national team door is always open: "For all national teams, we are always open to seeking talents and the best individuals for Vietnamese football in the future." With a preliminary plan involving up to nearly 100 players, Moric is clearly just one of the links being closely monitored in the long-term team-building journey.