The confusing disunity of the Vietnamese team

Facing an opponent 62 places lower on the FIFA rankings like Nepal, the Vietnamese team could not create a big and convincing victory in the match on the evening of October 14.

WIN BUT FEEL LIKE… LOSE

The difference in FIFA rankings (114 vs 176) between Vietnam and Nepal was only evident in the first half of the match at Thong Nhat Stadium on October 14. With 3 U.23 players, along with a fierce pressing and preemptive attack strategy, Coach Kim Sang-sik's players pressured Nepal with breathtaking intensity. 1 goal, 3 rebounds and dozens of opportunities were evidence of the overwhelming attacking play, as Mr. Kim abandoned his caution in the first leg because he understood the opponent's strength.

The difference between a strong team and an average team is that the average team still has the ability to attack fiercely, pass the ball to pressure the opponent and score goals, but the truly strong team will know how to control the game: play fast, slow, sometimes need to put pressure to find an advantage, sometimes keep a steady rhythm to wear down the opponent, then suddenly speed up when the opportunity comes...

In the match at Thong Nhat Stadium, the Vietnamese team showed its true colors, that we are just an average team, nothing more, nothing less.

The Vietnamese team (right) lacks coherence and flexibility in its playing style.

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

The Vietnamese team had more possession and shots, but did not control the game properly. Every time they had the ball, Mr. Kim's students always rushed forward, trying to hit the wing, cross, cross, or dribble to "crash" into Nepal's multi-layered defense. The South Asian representative was too familiar with Vietnam's playing style and intensity, so it was not difficult to maintain a solid defensive position. Thanh Nhan and her teammates only had one rhythm of playing football, without any change or variation.

Then, when they kept attacking, losing the ball, running back and then attacking again without controlling the rhythm, the Vietnamese team was exhausted first in the last 15 minutes of the match. If Nepal had been more careful in the last 2 counter-attacks, the Vietnamese team would not have been able to maintain the victory.

But remember, coach Kim Sang-sik's team only faced an opponent ranked 176th in the world , with many players only practicing alone for the past several months.

Vietnam Team is determined to fix the error

After 10 months, the Vietnamese team still cannot forget Xuan Son. The Brazilian-born player played very well at the AFF Cup 2024, but that was also... not okay. Xuan Son's excellence has overshadowed many of the Vietnamese team's problems, both in defense, passing the ball and taking advantage of opportunities. In the past matches, the "billion-dollar" players of the Vietnamese team could not play half as effectively as Xuan Son did.

However, what the Vietnamese team is lacking is not simply a striker with overwhelming power, who can create chances and score goals himself, or a player that his teammates have been told to pass to when in a difficult situation… Xuan Son brings trust, along with a strong, solid playing style but still poised, knowing where to stand, knowing when to pass, dribble or shoot the ball.

Coach Kim Sang-sik has no shortage of good strikers and midfielders, but how many of them know what to do when entering the opponent's penalty area to avoid the "everyone plays for themselves" situation like in the second half against Nepal?

Expert Doan Minh Xuong commented: "Mr. Kim needs flour to make glue. Some pillars of the Vietnamese team have lost their form and fitness, and are no longer meeting the requirements, but the younger generation has not been able to replace them immediately." That is a common thing in the transition period. Mr. Kim gave the starting position to the "old generation" in the first leg, then paved the way for young talents to play in the second leg, but both generations are showing a difference in both thinking and playing level. When the gears are not in sync, coach Kim Sang-sik really needs to make appropriate tactics and adjustments. The Vietnamese team needs perseverance and science to control the match properly, to find the "pulse" to operate the game, instead of just playing high balls or counter-attacking.

Perhaps if the playing style is not changed, the Vietnamese team will only transform when a series of naturalized players (overseas Vietnamese, foreign players) are eligible to play. The young players have potential, but need more time to mature. And the major tournaments that "overlap" continuously such as the AFF Cup 2026 (expected to take place in the middle of next year), Asian Cup 2027 (if the Vietnamese team wins a ticket)... put heavy pressure on performance.

Whether to be patient with the young generation or to pursue short-term results is the problem not only for Mr. Kim, but also for Vietnamese football. The disjointedness against Nepal was only the first warning.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/su-roi-rac-kho-hieu-cua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-18525101522131664.htm