Vietnamese football is only at the level of Southeast Asia.

Not only did the Vietnamese team have two hard-fought victories over Nepal in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, but it also showed that it is difficult to reach the continental level due to limitations in both human resources and professional foundation.

Vietnam team (center) played unconvincingly in the two matches against Nepal - Photo: NK

"The most practical goal of Vietnamese football at present is still in Southeast Asia. The whole process, along with the fundamental factors of Vietnamese football from facilities to the competition system, from youth training to club resources, it is clear that reaching the continental level, such as the top 10 goal, is very difficult," expert Doan Minh Xuong assessed.

Limits of Vietnam team

Facing Nepal - a team ranked 62 places below them on the FIFA rankings, the Vietnamese team, despite dominating the game, still had a lot of difficulty scoring.

Vietnam scored 4 goals after 2 matches, but only striker Tien Linh scored from a combination. The remaining 3 goals all came from defenders Pham Xuan Manh and Nguyen Van Vi after chaotic situations and Nepalese players scored own goals.

This shows that the attack depends too much on Tien Linh and lacks an effective replacement plan when this main striker is "silent".

Veteran strikers Pham Tuan Hai and Hai Long both failed to score. Newcomer Pham Gia Hung also failed to make an impact when he replaced Hai Long (63rd minute) in the first leg and Tien Linh (70th minute) in the second leg. U23 strikers Dinh Bac and Thanh Nhan also failed to score.

In addition to the attack, the midfield also played quite poorly. Hoang Duc's physical decline (leaving the field at the beginning of the second half of the return match at Thong Nhat Stadium) and Le Pham Thanh Long's unconvincing performance made the Vietnamese team stuck in scoring.

Sympathy for Mr. Kim

Not only Hoang Duc, many other players also showed physical weakness even though the V-League 2025-2026 has only taken place for 6 rounds. This made the Vietnamese team unable to play well against Nepal in the second half.

"We have to sympathize with coach Kim Sang Sik and the players. Previously, the V-League often paused for a long time for the Vietnamese team to prepare physically. But now, the Vietnamese team only has a short time to gather during the FIFA Days. Due to lack of time to prepare, their physical limitations were exposed in the two matches with Nepal. Next, Thong Nhat Stadium was slippery due to flooding due to the rain," said expert Doan Minh Xuong.

Mr. Xuong also believes that the tactics Mr. Kim is applying are suitable for the current state of Vietnamese football.

He said: "Under Mr. Kim, the Vietnamese team still plays defensive counter-attacks. So when facing a team that also plays defensively, it is difficult to play because there are not many attacking options, diverse playing styles, but only turning the wing to head, waiting to score from set pieces.

But the nature of Vietnamese football is just like that. Even if you invite a good and famous coach, it's still the same! Vietnamese clubs rely on foreign strikers, Vietnamese players are used to playing like that. So without foreign strikers, they are stuck."

Mr. Xuong acknowledged that it was time for Vietnamese football to change: "In reality, Vietnamese football does not have many talents. The U23 and the Vietnamese national team have both won the Southeast Asian championship, but Asia is a different level that Vietnamese football has not been able to reach.

We set high goals, but the solutions are not consistent. To reach the continental level, Vietnamese football must change its thinking and approach.

We must focus on youth training, but according to a new process and standards. Until now, Vietnamese football has only trained players to be able to play in the V-League or Southeast Asia. Young players from the club level must be encouraged to compete internationally to improve their level, otherwise they will never reach the continental level.

Currently, how many training centers in Vietnamese football can send U-level players to play in international tournaments every year? Very few.

"Football also follows the rule, after success comes decline. The golden generation of players who won the runner-up position in the 2018 U23 Asian Cup are getting old and starting to lose form. So it's time for coach Kim Sang Sik and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to consider adding new players to the Vietnam team, creating new vitality for Vietnamese football."

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bong-da-viet-nam-chi-o-tam-dong-nam-a-20251017101927429.htm