We have waited so long

We have waited a long time for an emotional night of complete victory, of pride in being a citizen of Vietnam - a country with a Southeast Asian and continental championship team.

But more than anything, we have waited a long time to see that the people's faith and hope in a golden generation of young players with outstanding talent and admirable personalities have been completely placed in the right place.

We have a great team

We have a great teacher.

And let's slow down a bit after the halo of glory to say thank you to Mr. Duc, who silently sowed the seeds of today's joy many years ago, since Xuan Truong, Cong Phuong.....were just little black boys on the football field unknown to everyone. Thank you, sir, for your heart, effort and vision for our country's football.

Someone told me, it’s just football, nothing to be afraid of. But for me personally, behind the success story of the Vietnam National Team are inspirational lessons for every Vietnamese person, especially the young people.

That is the story of Coach Park, the old coach of the land of kimchi, instead of accepting retirement after years of dedication to the country's sports, he decided to try his last chance in a faraway country; and unexpectedly, the peak of his career was right here. Is success a matter of being steadfast in your passion and choosing the right place to shine?

That is the story of goalkeeper Van Lam. A son far away from the Fatherland but still loves Vietnam with all his heart, still bravely accepts the days of hardship and challenges to once play for the national team with a pure love for the homeland and football. Is success the never giving up and living life to the fullest with the determination to contribute?

That is the story of small, skinny boys from all over the country who were selected, educated and trained in a systematic way, trained in iron discipline, and when they met a suitable mentor, they became dragons and created miracles for the country. And whether on or off the field, they still loved each other like brothers and treated each other very sincerely and respectfully. Is success the fragrant fruit of solidarity?

Is that the story of football, or is it the story of each of us, the Vietnamese people who are yearning for a common success for the country?

Every country is like a football team. The Vietnamese people have qualities and intellectual capacity that are not inferior to any other country, we have the right to be proud of that. But to achieve success, to create miracles in all fields, having those natural gifts alone is not enough, more than ever the Vietnamese people must have a spirit of discipline, unity and be invested in a visionary, correct and systematic way in education. Only then can we become champions in other fields outside the football field.

We have waited a long time for a prestigious Golden Cup, will we wait any longer to see a brighter Vietnam?

Don't wait, let's quietly act from within ourselves like Mr. Duc, like Mr. Park, and like Van Lam, Van Duc...; so that on or off the field, at any time, we can be proud of the two words "Vietnam". One drop of water cannot make an ocean, but what ocean is not made from millions of drops of water.

For us, and for Vietnam!