Is the Vietnamese national team being praised too much?

(Baonghean.vn) - After defeating the Malaysian national team and officially advancing to the semi-finals of the 2016 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team has received overwhelming praise. The game has begun, and they deserve it. But at this point, with Vietnam's real opponents yet to be revealed, it's not the time to bask in the euphoria of victory…

Having secured two victories against both Myanmar and Malaysia, even the most optimistic felt that the Vietnamese team had advanced to the semi-finals quite easily. That being said, it doesn't mean we're denying the hard work, sweat, and even blood of the players in red.

Realistically speaking, the style of play displayed by Coach Nguyen Huu Thang's team has been relatively composed and improved with each match. In particular, the influence of the coach from Nghe An and his key players like Xuan Truong and Cong Vinh is very strong.

However, upon closer examination, the teams that Vietnam defeated in the group stage, Myanmar and Malaysia, were not strong enough to be considered significant obstacles.

Without playmaker Xuan Truong, the Vietnamese national team will certainly face problems in organizing their attacks.

The Myanmar national team at the 2016 AFF Cup was a mix of the U20 team that participated in the U20 World Cup in New Zealand and the U23 team that competed in the SEA Games in Singapore the previous year, with an average age of only 22.5. With such a young squad, Myanmar clearly revealed its weakness: a lack of experience and composure in competitive matches.

This is also the reason why Myanmar's performance in 2016 has been quite poor, with only 1 win in their last 7 matches.

If Myanmar failed to hold off Vietnam due to a lack of necessary tactical brilliance, then Malaysia's strength and fighting spirit this year have also been severely diminished by internal issues.

With only three months left before the start of the 2016 AFF Cup, four of the national team's "nemesis" players – Aidil Zafuan, Safiq Rahim, Kunanlan Subramaniam, and Amirul Zainal – successively announced the end of their international playing careers for reasons that remain unclear.

Even coach Ong Kim Swee couldn't explain these regrettable absences. Furthermore, the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) are seriously considering withdrawing from the AFF Cup even before the tournament has begun.

Coach Nguyen Huu Thang does not allow the national team players to be complacent as the AFF Cup has not yet entered its most intense phase.

Speaking of the Vietnamese national team, under coach Nguyen Huu Thang, there have been no negative signs related to internal conflicts. The coach from Nghe An has the leadership skills to maintain a unified and cohesive team, but that doesn't mean there aren't potential risks.

Furthermore, not only experts but also fans can easily notice the significant difference between the starting and reserve players in the national team. The playing style displayed by the Vietnamese national team relies heavily on "playmakers" like Xuan Truong.

Without Tuan Anh, the team's attacking strength will undoubtedly be significantly diminished if the midfielder, currently playing in the K.League, is not in his best form. With the semi-finals just around the corner, Cong Phuong's chances of rediscovering his form are dwindling, and Coach Nguyen Huu Thang's task is more than just helping him regain his fitness. Therefore, there is no other option but to rely on the remaining players like Cong Vinh, Van Quyet, and Van Toan for the attack.

From the moment he took over the national team, coach Nguyen Huu Thang expressed his desire to have more assistants to support him. However, this plan fell through when coaches like Lu Dinh Tuan were unable to contribute.

If the head coach had a suitable advisor to help him read the situation on the field, the Vietnamese national team's coaching staff would certainly be able to understand their opponents and devise timely strategies. Of course, Coach Huu Thang is confident enough to do this.

After two matches, the Vietnamese national team, while able to impose their playing style, did so against less formidable opponents. Striker Cong Vinh was absolutely right when he said that victory is more important than the style of play. Creating many opportunities but failing to capitalize on them makes the style of play completely meaningless.

The spirit of Coach Nguyen Huu Thang and his team is highly commendable, but it's not too late to offer words of praise to the national teams after their clashes with opponents in the knockout rounds like Thailand, or even the Philippines!

Quynh Trang