AFF Cup 2021 is the 'stage' of the Vietnam National Team

This is also when Mr. Park Hang-seo was assigned to work in parallel with two teams, which is both favorable and difficult for the Korean coach because every task is important and heavy, it cannot be heavy in one place and light in another, while the competition schedule takes place continuously and in many different locations in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Park Hang-seo was assigned to work in parallel with two teams. Photo: Thanhnien Newspaper

The results of the Vietnam national team in the third qualifying round were of course not as expected, but the fact that the team played more and more sharply and steadily against higher-level opponents is a valuable "harvest" that is not easy to obtain. The question is, along with "bringing the bell to strike" at the continental level, will Mr. Park have prepared anything necessary for the process of defending the throne at the upcoming AFF Cup 2021 regional level?

In general, in all lines of the Vietnam National Team, perhaps due to the reality as well as the need to prepare the force, Mr. Park has changed a number of positions to serve both in the short term and in the long term. In the goal, Van Lam returned, Van Toan was tested alongside the use of Tan Truong, who is considered the most stable player at present, only Nguyen Manh and Van Hoang have not been tested yet?

The trio of central defenders also had changes when Duy Manh and Tien Dung both had “problems” in different matches and were replaced by Thanh Binh and Thanh Chung respectively. Luckily for Mr. Park, Ngoc Hai still maintained his stability, although 2 yellow cards will make this central defender absent in the upcoming match against the Australian team.

After Mr. Park lost the wing duo Trong Hoang-Van Hau, this strategist also added Tan Tai but in the end only believed in the HAGL pair Van Thanh-Hong Duy even though they did not create any peace of mind in reality. Opponents at a higher level will not have difficulty knowing how to exploit this fatal weakness of the Vietnam National Team. While waiting for the day Trong Hoang returns, waiting for Tan Tai to learn more defensive skills and develop his attacking ability, hopefully Mr. Park will not be "taken hostage" when he is helpless in finding a replacement?

In the midfield, Mr. Park is quite persistent with Tuan Anh, quite trusting Hoang Duc and Quang Hai, but the positions of Van Duc and Van Toan are still constantly questioned? And it seems that Mr. Park currently only trusts the two strikers Tien Linh and Cong Phuong in the attack, while Duc Chinh and Tuan Hai only enter the field for a few minutes in a powerless, late match, making it difficult to do anything...

To see, the framework of the Vietnam National Team in the upcoming AFF Cup has almost been shaped with many old factors, only a few small changes depending on the injury or card status of the players.

Meanwhile, although the U23 Asian Finals and SEA Games take place later, it is easy to imagine the U23 Vietnam team from now on. The fact that a series of U23 players have been brought up to the Vietnam National Team recently does not have much meaning in terms of adding strength, but is almost a move to stimulate the spirit of the young players to rise up. In fact, only Thanh Binh was allowed to enter the field in the match against the Chinese National Team and caused a disaster, the other players just came and went early, as a direction for the future of the far-sighted coach.

Hopefully Van Toan's injury will not cause trouble for the No. 1 goalkeeper position at U23 although Van Chuan is always ready to take his place. Thanh Binh, when returning to U23, will of course have a place next to Viet Anh, Manh Dung... or Hai Long will be a special factor in the middle of the field next to Van Cong, Hoang Anh, Huu Thang. On the attack line, Thanh Minh only played 1 half, scored 1 goal and was called up to the Vietnam national team once but will be the most notable factor on the U23 attack line next to Van Dat, Xuan Tu...

Obviously, Mr. Park alone has to both “carry the baby” and “grind the rice” to complete the responsibility assigned to him for a long period of Vietnamese football, which is something to be appreciated. The previous and following generations of Vietnamese football will have a succession on a standard “railway”, but the low and uneven starting point will cause Mr. Park to face difficulties in the coming time.

The Vietnamese national team may have become accustomed to the coach's style, but the fact that the U23 Vietnam team did not perform as expected requires a recalculation of this approach. Everyone knows that Mr. Park needs the Vietnamese national team to defend the top position in the region and gradually reach the continental level. The U23 Vietnam team as well as the youth teams need a longer-term strategy, not necessarily "reaping the unripe rice" but must have a solid inheritance with a higher, further goal, meaning that we must join hands more instead of just looking at Mr. Park's hands as before.

It is also to hope that the problem "assigned" to Mr. Park Hang-seo is not only in the 3rd qualifying round but also focuses on the campaign to defend the throne, which is the real "stage" in the AFF Cup 2021. When and only when the Vietnamese team retains the gold cup and stays in Vietnam for at least 2 more years, then Mr. Park and his colleagues can be considered to have completed their mission excellently.

To see, the third qualifying round is not completely meaningless even though the Vietnam national team has lost consecutive matches. To know, Vietnamese football has risen to the top of the region but to reach the continent requires time, material and many other things that at this time, even if you want to, it is very difficult to reach...

Chau Phu