AFF CUP 2022: Vietnam national team faces difficulties when confronting underdog team.

In preparation for the 2022 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team has been training in Hanoi and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, playing two friendly matches, and is currently finalizing its squad list with only one week left before the tournament begins. After the friendly match against the Philippines (1-0, Van Quyet scored), coach Park Hang-seo expressed satisfaction with his players and the preparation process, but whether the reality is as he "encouraged" them to be remains to be seen. Why is that?

The Vietnamese national team trains ahead of a friendly match in preparation for the 2022 AFF Cup.

First of all, with only two friendly matches before the tournament, a "good luck" period for coach Park Hang-seo, what can the Vietnamese national team test, assess, select, and discover when facing an opponent that will be completely different from those we've encountered before? Facing an opponent like Dortmund is no easy task, but this is the time of the World Cup, and their star players are being called up to compete internationally. Will the remaining players be a real "test," even though their level is still a long way from what we can reach?

But it must be emphasized that choosing to face the Philippines was necessary because it will help Coach Park Hang-seo and his team learn many things. Remember in the 2021 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese team was held to a draw by Indonesia, who played with a large number of defenders, and then went on to face an unfavorable opponent, Thailand, in the semi-finals, ultimately losing the title. At the 31st SEA Games, the U23 Vietnamese team also faced immense difficulties against the Philippines, who played a tight three-tiered defense.

In the recent friendly match of the Vietnamese national team, Van Lam only had to catch the ball a few times, otherwise he stood idle because the opponent also played deep defensive football, testing the patience of coach Park Hang-seo and his team. Van Quyet's late goal showed that this time, Coach Park was less conservative, and adding a player from Hanoi FC who was once the best player in the V-League was a correct and necessary decision. Certainly, the opponent in the 2022 AFF Cup will play defensively in the same way to limit the strength of the red-shirted team. Not only Van Quyet, but Coach Park will have to make more personnel changes, adopt a more innovative playing style, and show greater decisiveness if he hopes things will go smoothly.

Coach Park Hang-seo's experimentation with Thanh Chung as a central defender, Viet Anh as a right-back, and Ngoc Quang as a defensive midfielder has yielded different results, serving various objectives. Is the South Korean coach being too "outdated" by continuing to field the wingbacks Van Thanh and Hong Duy, who have long lost their creativity in both the national team and Hoang Anh Gia Lai, and Ngoc Quang playing listlessly in midfield as in the recent match? More importantly, if facing an opponent who plays defensively and passively, who will be the key to breaking through this arduous and elaborate defense? Clearly, at least three matches against defensive opponents have shown Coach Park Hang-seo's team to be helpless, including the tiring and sluggish victory against the Philippines, which speaks volumes and serves as a warning before it's too late.

Through these friendly matches, it's easy to see which players will not be joining the national team for the upcoming AFF Cup. It's regrettable that Cong Phuong will not participate due to personal reasons. Van Toan wasn't registered for the match against the Philippines, despite starting in the game against Dortmund, and is likely to be dropped. Young players like Van Khang, Thanh Nhan, and Dinh Duy, who haven't played recently, will also likely stay home, and the training camp is a valuable learning experience. Duc Chinh will also face difficulties competing with Tuan Hai, who is truly emerging in the attacking system of the South Korean coach… Quang Hai's imminent joining the team is good news for many, and hopefully, this promising talent will continue to contribute to the national team, as a way to honor his respected coach…

After the 2022 World Cup, with its exciting surprises and established truths for teams with rich traditions and abundant talent, hopefully the 2022 AFF Cup will follow the same exciting and surprising path of the beautiful game, albeit at a different level. The Vietnamese national team is undoubtedly a top team in the region, and only reclaiming the crown from Thailand can be considered a success at this point, while the goal for Vietnamese football is not just that, but to reach the continental level in the future.