Singapore newspaper admires Vietnamese youth football

Todayonline newspaper published an analysis by Asian football expert John Duerden about the future of Vietnamese football after the U20 World Cup event.

Duong Van Hao competes for the ball with Jean-Kevin Augustin of France U20. Photo: AP.

The Argentine national team was paid to come and play in Singapore on June 13, but before that, the South American country's U20 team was in Vietnam for a friendly match, a warm-up match for the 2017 U20 World Cup.

The visiting coach Claudio Ubeda was impressed after the match at Thong Nhat Stadium. "The players here have good technique and are also quick," he said. "Football here has a bright future."

The tournament that coach Hoang Anh Tuan's students just experienced in Korea has, to some extent, proven that assessment to be correct.

Vietnam only managed one point in their first appearance in a FIFA 11-a-side final, but matches against New Zealand, Honduras and European champions France showed how far they have come and how wide the road ahead is. Vietnam lost 4-0 to France, 2-0 to Honduras and drew 0-0 with New Zealand, but they were focused in defence and determined in attack. Next time, things could be different.

"We are proud of what we have achieved in our first World Cup appearance," striker Tran Thanh, who scored the goal that secured our place in the finals, told FIFA.com.

"We also learn a lot from the professional players at a very high level when playing in this tournament. It would be better if we could score at least one goal here but anyway, I think it is also good to inspire the next generation," he continued.

Vietnam has had more success than other Southeast Asian countries at youth football level in recent years. Photo: Duc Dong.

Yes, the key is to learn the lessons and come back stronger. It sounds cliché but again, look at what is happening in youth football development in Vietnam.

Located in the Central Highlands of this country is the Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) academy, and it is at the heart of many of the good things happening in Vietnamese football.

It is one of the most productive youth academies in the world. Operated with technical assistance from Arsenal following a deal signed in 2007, it is a long-term project that has nurtured some of Southeast Asia’s best players.

"It's a well-managed academy and when I was there I saw a lot of young talent," said Alfred Riedl, former coach of Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia. "The facilities there are very good for the players. If they maintain patience with this training, one day they will reap the rewards."

And patience was there.

The HAGL Academy has been in operation for a decade and everyone can see it starting to bear fruit. In February, Vietnam U23 defeated Malaysia U23 3-0. That result was not surprising given the recent developments in football between the two countries, but nine players in the Vietnam squad that day, half of the squad, came from the HAGL academy.

At the 2016 AFF Cup, the graduates of this academy all had a solid position in the first team. Vu Van Thanh, Nguyen Van Toan, Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Luong Xuan Truong, all were young and very impressive. But for some reason that is difficult to explain, Vietnam then lost to Indonesia in the semi-finals.

The young generation of Vietnamese players is highly regarded, but needs patience in development. Photo: Duc Dong.

Steve Darby, former coach of S. League side Home United and many other clubs in Southeast Asia and the Vietnamese women's team, is a fan of the HAGL academy, not least because it is a non-profit. "Thousands of kids are scouted every year and the 18 best kids are selected to be in the HAGL academy house," the English coach said.

“There are standardized training methods, matches and trips to other international academies. For many years, that has been the backbone of youth football training in Vietnam,” Darby said.

There are other academies that came into existence later, and among them PVF (short for Vietnam Youth Football Development Fund) is even rated higher than HAGL by some.

It all blends into a football environment that gets stronger every year and according to Darby, patience is key at every level.

"Clubs give local coaches long-term contracts and stick with them despite criticism from the press. The Vietnamese media is a harsh nitpicker," Darby said. "But the Vietnam Football Federation has shown the benefits of long-term planning. They have used FIFA and AFC sponsorship well, building a high-quality training centre in My Dinh (Hanoi)," he continued.

Proper use of funding has also helped Myanmar. The country’s football federation has close ties with FIFA, attracting investment and funding from the world football governing body over the past decade, helping to open academies across the country.

The Myanmar National Championship was also established a decade ago and attracts domestic businesses.

“There is a lot of raw talent there, all over the country,” said Raddy Avramovic, who led Singapore to three AFF Cup titles between 2003 and 2012 before a brief stint with Myanmar.

"In fact, you can see people playing football in villages and on the streets. There is still a skepticism about the bridge between young talent and their clubs and academies. That is happening and it will take time to resolve," he said.

The country also qualified for the 2015 U20 World Cup, giving young talents a taste of international football, helping them to make a solid start at the 2016 AFF Cup. Players like Aung Thu are attracting attention across Asia.

Myanmar aims to reach the regional finals by 2020 and win their first title by 2024. They hope to qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup.

Both countries have a lot of work to do.

Myanmar will need better and more evenly distributed facilities, which will cost money and time. In Vietnam, the goal of improving the V-League, which has not been as good as expected, needs more attention. The specter of match-fixing has dampened investment from businesses that could otherwise be strong. Authorities are also trying to combat the problem.

Solving problems in V-League is also extremely important for the development of football in general in Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Dung.

If successful, the V-League as well as the Vietnamese national team could be strong enough to compete with Thailand for regional supremacy and then become a force in Asia. The appearance at the U20 World Cup could be seen as a start.

"The potential is huge. There are about 100 million people in that country and they love football. There is very little competition to become an athlete at the top level because everyone wants to be a player," Darby said.

And among them, more and more people become good players.

According to VNE