The team’s dramatic comeback victory over U22 Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium featured five players with HAGL roots, underscoring the club’s enduring role in supplying talent to the national setup.
Four of them, Trung Kiên, Quốc Cường, Quốc Việt and Hiểu Minh, are direct graduates of the HAGL Arsenal JMG Academy, while centre-back Lý Đức was also developed at the club’s Hàm Rồng Training Center.
Their performances offered the clearest answer yet to critics who have questioned the absence of new stars following the generation of Tuấn Anh, Công Phượng and Văn Toàn.
Nearly two decades after Bầu Đức founded the HAGL Arsenal JMG Academy, his approach to youth training remains central to Vietnamese football. Early skepticism, including claims that he was “building a house from the roof down” by heavily investing in football, was initially silenced by HAGL’s immediate success, with the club winning back-to-back V.League titles shortly after promotion. Although those heights have not been revisited, HAGL-trained players have consistently shaped the national team’s achievements.
A generation led by Tuấn Anh, Công Phượng, Văn Toàn, Văn Thanh, Xuân Trường, Minh Vương, Ngọc Quang and Hồng Duy played pivotal roles in milestones such as Vietnam’s runner-up finish at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship and the AFF Cup title the same year. Bầu Đức also facilitated overseas stints for several players in Belgium, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, broadening their experience despite limited tangible success.
In subsequent years, however, HAGL endured a prolonged period of decline, both in domestic competitions and in youth tournaments. The absence of standout talents after Công Phượng’s generation, coupled with early exits at national youth events, fueled doubts among supporters, particularly as key players departed and the first team struggled in the V.League.
The SEA Games 33 campaign has shifted that narrative. In addition to the academy graduates, Lý Đức emerged as a cornerstone of the U22 side after a breakthrough season with HAGL. Recalled from a loan spell at Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu, the 21-year-old played every match of the 2024–2025 V.League season, logging 1,350 minutes, scoring once and providing one assist. His composure and defensive solidity earned him call-ups to both the U22 and senior national teams.
All five HAGL-linked players contributed to Vietnam’s SEA Games success and are expected to remain key figures under coach Kim Sang-sik at the upcoming AFC U23 Championship. Goalkeeper Trung Kiên’s recent inclusion in the Top 5 of the Vietnam Golden Ball voting further highlighted the academy’s renewed impact.
Despite continued struggles in the V.League, where HAGL currently sits near the bottom of the 2025–2026 standings, the club has doubled down on its youth-first philosophy. A new wave of homegrown players, many still in their teens, has been entrusted with significant responsibility, including Trần Gia Bảo, the youngest goalscorer in V.League history at just 16.
With its developmental model once again validated on the regional stage, HAGL appears set to persist with its long-term commitment to youth, even at the cost of short-term results. For Bầu Đức, the achievements in Thailand may represent the most persuasive defense yet of a philosophy built on patience, persistence and belief in young talent.
HAGL has gone through difficult times, with limited resources for the first team. Yet, at every stage, Bầu Đức has remained deeply committed to youth football, as it is his ideal and the very reason he is involved in the sport. That’s why, even when the team’s results have not been outstanding, young players continue to be given opportunities. That’s how we have talents like Trung Kiên and Lý Đức today.”
Nguyễn Tấn Anh, Head of Delegation, HAGL Football Club
