Nguyen Huu Thang: The new wizard of the Vietnamese national team.

(Baonghean.vn) - Although he has only been in charge of the Vietnamese national team for a short time, the strategist from Nghe An province is demonstrating his Midas touch by bringing a fresh perspective to the team and earning the trust of domestic fans.

Since integrating into regional football, the Vietnamese national team has been on its way to fulfilling its dream of winning a gold medal at the SEA Games. There have been times when it seemed that dream was within reach, only for the players in red jerseys to slip away in a heartbreaking manner. Throughout this process, numerous strategists from developed football nations such as Brazil, Germany, Portugal, and Japan have come and gone, following a seemingly predetermined script.

Coach Nguyen Huu Thang is expected to be the new "magician" of the Vietnamese national team.

The most successful coach of the Vietnamese national team is arguably the "magician" Calisto. The Portuguese coach won the hearts of Vietnamese fans by building a distinctive, well-defined playing style that was very suitable for the physical characteristics of Vietnamese players.

The Portuguese strategist's many years of experience working in Vietnam meant he understood every detail of the Vietnamese players, thereby instilling a passionate and fiery fighting spirit in the young men in red jerseys. As a result, the Vietnamese national team achieved its only ever victory in the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2008 after defeating their arch-rival Thailand 3-2 over two legs.

The Vietnamese national team achieved its first success under coach Nguyen Huu Thang.

The playing style of the Vietnamese national team under domestic coaches like Hoang Van Phuc and Phan Thanh Hung, or foreign coaches like Falko Goetz and Miura, was not well-defined and largely unsuitable for the physical condition of Vietnamese players. Once again, the VFF placed its trust in a domestic coach, and the chosen one was former national team player Nguyen Huu Thang. Since that "moment of glory," Vietnamese football has returned to its familiar reality, continuing to be overshadowed by a Thailand team that harbors ambitions to reach the international stage.

To improve the situation of the Vietnamese national team in the post-Calisto era, there have been many revolutions in both tactical thinking and personnel on the coaching bench. However, the results have been a complete zero.

Immediately after taking over from Mr. Miura, the strategist from Nghe An publicly announced his plan to build a short-passing, small-ball style of play based on technically skilled players. The former Vietnam national team center-back admitted: "As a fan of Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Pep Guardiola, the former manager of Barcelona, ​​I personally think the style of play that Pep built is the most suitable for Vietnamese players. We are small in stature but compensate with our agility."

This is considered a smart choice by the coach from Nghe An province because we have optimal players who have received thorough training at the HAGL and SLNA football academies, possessing the necessary qualities and techniques to implement the playing style that the coach has envisioned.

Indeed, after a short time as head coach of the Vietnamese national team, with his understanding of domestic football and his own established playing style based on the Tiki-Taca philosophy that became the trademark of the famous Barcelona team.

The coach from Nghe An province has breathed new life into the team's playing style. By abandoning the long-ball style and reliance on physical fitness under his predecessor Miura, he has replaced it with a short-passing, quick-ball, and less-touch game. This has allowed him to showcase the technical skills of players like Tuan Anh, Xuan Truong, Thanh Luong, Van Toan, Van Quyet, and striker Le Cong Vinh.

One noticeable aspect under coach Nguyen Huu Thang is the establishment of a stable team structure and a highly flexible formation, switching from a 4-1-4-1 to a 4-2-3-1 depending on the specific situation. This sensible formation and sound tactical approach have led to well-deserved success for the Vietnamese national team. In their five official matches, the team secured three wins, one draw, and suffered only one defeat against Iraq in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region.

In particular, the recent victory against their Southeast Asian rival – the Singapore team – to convincingly win the AYA Bank Cup is a welcome sign for Vietnamese fans.

It's too early to talk about the success of the strategist from Nghe An province in leading the Vietnamese national team. However, what he has achieved so far is encouraging. This gives fans reason to believe in a bright future for Vietnamese football under coach Nguyen Huu Thang.

Cao Anh