Thai media unanimously reacts to Vietnamese expatriate 'Little Modric'

The recruitment of Croatian-Vietnamese expatriate Antonio Moric by the Vietnam U19 team quickly captured the attention of regional media. Many Thai sports news sites suggest he could become a notable figure in Vietnam's football future.

According to the site MrFootball AEC, Moric is assessed as a player with significant development potential if he continues on the right path. This site states: "Antonio Moric can play multiple attacking positions, from attacking midfielder to winger and even center forward. He is seen as a potential offensive asset for Vietnamese football in the future if he develops properly."

Meanwhile, the site Thailive emphasizes the player's European training background as a dual Vietnamese-Croatian national. This site evaluates: "Growing up within Croatia's youth training system, a country renowned for technical skill and producing world-class midfielders, could give Moric an edge in physicality, tactical thinking, and match vision compared to domestic players."

Not limited to technical aspects, Thailive also views Moric's recruitment as reflecting a new direction by the VFF: "Recruiting Moric shows the Vietnam Football Federation is becoming more open to mixed-ethnicity or expatriate players at youth levels, aiming to build resources for the future national team. This is also the approach being adopted by several regional football systems like Indonesia and Thailand."

The site also mentions the role of Japanese coach Yutaka Ikeuchi, who leads the Vietnam U19 team: "Another notable point is the presence of Japanese coach Yutaka Ikeuchi guiding the Vietnam U19 team. This is expected to help players developed in Europe adapt more easily to Asian football tactics and environment."

However, Thai media also raises questions about this young player's future: "The question is whether Antonio Moric can become a key piece helping Vietnam's youth football regain its standing in Southeast Asia? That will require more time to verify."

In the first training camp of 2026, the Vietnam U19 team called up a total of 31 players to review and evaluate the squad ahead of the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship and the 2027 Asian U20 qualification rounds.

This roster includes familiar faces who have previously played for youth teams, such as Nguyen Duc Nhat, Le Minh Nhat, Bach Trong Duong, and Nguyen Thiên Phu. Additionally, there is the 196cm tall goalkeeper Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka, a player currently competing in Japan.

According to the plan, the Vietnam U19 team will assemble from March 17 to March 29 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. After about a week of training, the coaching staff will screen the squad to identify the most suitable talents for upcoming international objectives.