Vietnam national football team undergoes major overhaul: Younger, taller and more 'Western'

The Vietnamese team is preparing for a transfer of forces in the next year, with young players, overseas Vietnamese, and new faces selected according to the vision of coach Kim Sang-sik.

Vietnam team needs to transfer, cannot delay

Each generation of players in the history of the Vietnamese national team has developed according to the formula: asserting themselves to gain a foothold, maintaining their form, then reaching the twilight of their careers, approaching the age of 30.

Coach Park Hang-seo's U.23 Vietnam team, which won the Asian runner-up title in 2018, has completed its mission by leading the Vietnamese team to the AFF Cup 2018 and 2024 championship, the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup 2019, and the third qualifying round of the World Cup 2022...

This is certainly the most classy and versatile generation of players that Vietnamese football has ever produced. However, a football foundation cannot just "live on" the talent of a single generation. Transfer is a matter of time. The problem is how to purify to create a foundation for the new generation, but still maintain achievements at an acceptable level.

A difficult problem for coach Kim Sang-sik

PHOTO: MINH TU

Coach Philippe Troussier saw the limits of the "golden generation" 2 years ago, and proceeded to rebuild with a series of young talents. However, Mr. Troussier's innovation soon failed, because the younger generation was too immature to surpass their seniors.

The French coach's style of play that emphasizes control and dominance is also not suitable, because the physical strength, technical tactics and mentality of Vietnamese players are not enough to meet the requirements.

Unlike Mr. Troussier, Coach Kim Sang-sik is more flexible and agile. Still prioritizing defense like his predecessor Park Hang-seo, but Mr. Kim is more flexible in pressing and attacking tactics, giving players free space to "act on their own" and change flexibly.

In the 2027 Asian Cup and 2026 AFF Cup qualifiers, the old generation still has the advantage with about 9 to 10 starting players. The pressure of performance makes Mr. Kim use a safe option. However, that is when the young generation is not "ripe", at the same time, trusting veterans is also a way for the Korean coach to see the final limit of the "golden generation".

These faces are the future of Vietnamese football.

PHOTO: MINH TU

Now, the Vietnamese team has gathered enough elements to make a transition. The mainstay generation (born from 1995 to 1997) has lost its form, the U.23 generation is growing with each match, and the mindset of using overseas Vietnamese and naturalized foreign players is more open than before.

The door is open

10 years ago, Vietnamese football had a heated debate: should Hoang Vu Samson (formerly known as Samson Kayode) be called up to the national team or not?

Samson has a lot of talent. He scored 223 goals, becoming the best domestic striker in V-League history. Samson also won the V-League 3 times with Hanoi FC, but he has never (and probably never) had the chance to touch the Vietnam national team.

Because, Samson emerged at a time when the national team was still unfamiliar with naturalized foreign players. Phan Van Santos and Dinh Hoang La were luckier than Samson, when they were able to wear the national team jersey, but only for friendly matches.

It was not until Xuan Son joined the national team in December 2024 and immediately shone with 7 goals to win the AFF Cup 2024 championship that the thinking about naturalized foreign players (like Samson years ago) changed. Following Xuan Son, Gustavo Sant Ana (1.95 m tall, Brazilian center back) could also join the national team next year, when he has Vietnamese citizenship.

And a series of quality overseas Vietnamese players have been given a way to return home thanks to the more "open" regulations in V-League (allowing each team to register 2 overseas Vietnamese), contributing to the creation of Van Lam, Nguyen Filip, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh in the current national team, along with Adou Minh, Kyle Colonna, Patrik Le Giang, Le Viktor or Tran Thanh Trung for the future.

Patrik Le Giang could become a quality addition to the Vietnamese team.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

"The Vietnamese team must be the place where the best resources of football converge," commentator Vu Quang Huy shared.

The Vietnamese team can rejuvenate with the U.23 generation, can "Westernize" with overseas Vietnamese and naturalized foreign players, or can also mix old, young and "Western" generations, depending on Coach Kim's point of view.

But, no matter what formula is used, perhaps everyone understands: the time has come for the Vietnamese team to make a complete change. The opponent is improving day by day, which means we will fall behind if we stand still.

Transferring forces, sometimes does not mean... replacing everyone, but the national team must be a place for worthy and aspiring players, and cannot forever cling to a generation about to pass its glorious period.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-thay-mau-tre-hon-cao-hon-va-tay-hon-nua-185250923195555965.htm