Vietnam team has too many problems

Despite beating Nepal 3-1 in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup on the evening of October 9, the Vietnamese team revealed many weaknesses in both attack and defense against a much weaker opponent.

Vietnamese players (right) were often at a standstill during the 3-1 win over Nepal - Photo: NK

That is a concern in the preparation for the rematch with Malaysia at home in March 2026.

Against Nepal, coach Kim Sang Sik fielded the strongest lineup for the Vietnamese team to ensure victory. Especially the defense with goalkeeper Dang Van Lam and the trio of central defenders Duy Manh, Xuan Manh and Bui Tien Dung. But that experienced defense did not play very well against the young Nepalese players.

In Nepal's 1-1 equalizer in the 17th minute, Vietnam's defense played loosely, especially captain Duy Manh, who let Sanish Shrestha head the ball into the net. Poor marking, Duy Manh in this match also passed the ball to his opponent many times, which was very dangerous.

Without any reflexes in the goal, goalkeeper Van Lam almost conceded another goal in the 55th minute when receiving a return pass from Xuan Manh. Under pressure from the Nepalese striker, Van Lam fumbled and made a bad pass, luckily Duy Manh intervened in time. The 32-year-old goalkeeper's footwork and concentration are still inherent limitations. But what is worth mentioning is the way Coach Kim uses his players.

Specifically, using central defender Bui Tien Dung who had only practiced 2 sessions after injury was not convincing. As a result, at the beginning of the second half, Mr. Kim had to replace Bui Tien Dung with Van Vi. Meanwhile, the two young central defenders Hieu Minh - Nhat Minh have good skills and completely deserve to be given the opportunity to start.

Against a weaker opponent and playing with only 10 men on the field in the second half, the Vietnamese team still struggled to attack. Statistics show that the Vietnamese team shot 25 times, but only 10 were on target. It was not until the second half that the Vietnamese team scored 2 more goals thanks to... two defenders Xuan Manh and Van Vi. "We shot a lot in this match, but could only score 3 goals. In a way, that is also a success for the Vietnamese team. However, we need to be more careful with our chances," admitted coach Kim Sang Sik. The ability to finish is a chronic disease of the Vietnamese team's strikers. The two expected strikers Pham Tuan Hai and Hai Long also left a big disappointment even though they were only facing Nepalese players.

What the Vietnamese team has shown shows that there is still much to do to improve the cohesion in the playing style. In particular, it is necessary to change the excessive safety in the way of selecting personnel. Calling up 8 U23 players but not using any young players in the starting lineup, then only putting two U23 players on the field as substitutes, Thanh Nhan and Dinh Bac, Mr. Kim seems to be contradicting himself in the process of rejuvenating the team and preparing for the 33rd SEA Games at the end of the year.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-co-qua-nhieu-van-de-20251011100635496.htm