AFF Cup 2021: Where the Vietnamese Team Finds Smiles Again

It is easy to see that the AFF Cup is not an impossible playground for the defending champion team compared to the recent World Cup 3rd qualifying round, but it is worth mentioning the pressure on the teachers and students.Coach Park Hang-seofrom there it is not small when they only have "1 door" to fight.

And if they cannot overcome the pressure of having to win the matches or lose in the final match, which no one dares to confirm, then it is considered that the Vietnamese team has "stepped on the same path" as the powerful neighbor Thailand before when the team collapsed in a very regrettable chain reaction despite being warned very early.

Coach Park Hang-seo was assigned the target of defending the AFF Cup championship. Photo: VFF

That said, don't be too quick to assume that, in the upcoming AFF Cup, everything for the Vietnam National Team will be as easy as taking something out of a bag and that a player who didn't play well in the previous 3rd qualifying round will immediately regain his position? For example, when talking about the "launching pad" for the Vietnam National Team inAFF Cup, people immediately gave the honor to Tuan Anh-Hoang Duc and believed that the midfielder of HAGL would show his true "class" against opponents in the region?

With Viettel midfielder Hoang Duc, that hope is well-founded when facing opponents at the continental level, he still "broke out" of confusion and inferiority to play confidently in difficult matches. On the contrary, Tuan Anh has not shown any signs of returning to his peak after continuous injuries accompanied by a poor physical foundation. Let's ask which match did this midfielder really play well in recently, when he only played for 45 minutes and then rested? In the last match between the Vietnam team and the Saudi Arabia team, Tuan Anh played more time but there was nothing to say that this talented midfielder had really returned.

Hope is necessary and never taxed, but it is more necessary to have a realistic basis to carry real faith in hand. If we continue to rely on subjective and intentional reasoning, not only about a few players, then the reality of the competition has shown that it is impossible, if not even more disappointing afterwards?

Coach Park Hang-seo considers defending the AFF Cup a key task for the Vietnam National Team. Photo courtesy

The story of the "launching pad" from which factors is extremely important for the Vietnam National Team, but if we put unnecessary pressure on those talented players too soon, it is best to leave that to Coach Park's calculations? Similarly, the story of the "wings" when Van Hau-Trong Hoang have not returned, then the story of the goalkeeper, the tallest player...

Obviously, the entire third qualifying round is a process of training and finding human resources for the AFF Cup race, and it is also when the internal strength of Mr. Park and his students is exposed to the eyes of opponents. In the three years that Mr. Park has led Vietnamese football from one victory to another, no regional opponent has been able to "overtake" the Korean coach, but after the recent round of all-losses, can opponents take advantage of the opportunity to do something, even "overthrow" the top opponent to rearrange the order? That is something that everyone knows without being told?

Here, after all, the real pressure of the Vietnam National Team comes from the opponent, which is one thing, but the pressure created by oneself cannot be underestimated. For example, underestimating and underestimating the opponent so that when encountering resistance, the opponent's advance will not be able to react in time? Always entering the field with the mentality of having to win will also make everything heavy and lacking in freedom? Therefore, the first and last thing for the Vietnam National Team is still psychological stability before, during and after each match. There is no room for subjectivity, carelessness, nor should one be self-deprecating or pessimistic.

Thailand team - a strong opponent of Vietnam team at AFF Cup. Photo: Archive

Each match is a real battle of courage, intelligence, professional capacity and the consensus of a united, persistent, long-term team. There is still the Thai mountain in front of us, not easy to overcome and even if we overcome it, not everything will be smooth sailing. There are also the mountains of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore… that each time we overcome them, we have to sweat a lot…

That is the process of "finding back the smile" that was thought to be lost by the Vietnam National Team when we returned to the regional playground, which is considered difficult but easy, easy but difficult at this time. Currently, the Thais have won the Cup 5 times, the Singaporeans have won 3 times, and we have only won 2 times, which means we still have to strive to catch up with our neighbors, there is nothing to be proud of, complacent, and take this playground lightly.

Hopefully, when all unnecessary and incorrect pressure is removed, Coach Park Hang-seo and his team return with confidence, courage, and superiority both in the technical area and on the field, then victory to retain the Cup is inevitable, a solid foundation to rekindle bright smiles on lips.

Phu Chau