The national football squad will face Germany’s Frankfurt club without senior players like Cong Vinh, Minh Phuong or Phuoc Tu. Instead, new faces will rise to the occasion.

Striker Viet Thang (white) of the national squad.

Coach Henrique Calisto explained that the match against Frankfurt would be an opportunity for his team to practice, so he wanted to choose the best players. Yet his best players like striker Cong Vinh, halfback Phuoc Tu, captain Minh Phuong will be unable to join the game because of critical injuries.

Calisto didn’t call up Quang Thanh, Vu Phong and Hoang Quang because they are busy with the AFC Cup 2010. The coach, therefore, must rely on three new players, fullback Hong Tien and halfback Sy Cuong from the Hanoi T&T club and Dong Thap’s striker Duoc Em.

He also called up a striker from the U23 national team, Dinh Tung, to replace Cong Vinh. Calisto said he was satisfied with the team, although it lacks star power. The squad will convene next week in Hanoi and they will have two days to prepare for the friendly match on May 12.

Calisto is presently recovering from two recent operations, but has assured fans that he will be present to lead the team.

The friendly match is organized to celebrate the 35^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Federal Republic of Germany. Eintracht Frankfurt club will arrive in Vietnam on May 11. The German club will have a friendly match with the Vietnamese squad at Hanoi’s My Dinh stadium on May 12 and another match against Dong Tam Long An on May 14 in HCM City’s Thong Nhat stadium.

Eintracht Frankfurt is led by Coach Micheal Skibbee, former coach of Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leveerkusen and was also on the coaching board of the German national squad from 2000 to 2004.

The tickets for the two games in Hanoi and HCM City will be sold at 200,000, 150,000, 100,000 and 50,000 dong/ticket.

The list of 22 players:

Goalkeepers: Duong Hong Son (Hanoi T&T), Bui Tan Truong (Dong Thap)

Fullbacks: Vu Nhu Thanh (Ninh Binh), Doan Viet Cuong (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Nguyen Minh Duc (Hai Phong), Truong Dinh Luat (Navibank Saigon), Nguyen Dinh Dong (Song Lam Nghe An), Nguyen Hong Tien (Hanoi T&T)

Halfbacks: Cao Sy Cuong (Hanoi T&T), Hoang Van Binh (Song Lam Nghe An), Nguyen Duy Quang, Nguyen Quy Suu (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Phan Van Ta Em (Dong Tam Long An), Nguyen Minh Chau (Hai Phong), Nguyen Trong Hoang (Song Lam Nghe An), Le Tan Tai (Khanh Hoa), Pham Thanh Luong (Hanoi ACB), Luong Van Duoc Em (Dong Thap)

Strikers: Nguyen Viet Thang, Le Sy Manh (Ninh Binh), Nguyen Quang Hai (Khanh Hoa), Hoang Dinh Tung (Lam Son Thanh Hoa).

PV