Why is there a lack of talent in the furnace?

It can be seen that nowadays, many high-quality youth training centers appear, at the same time, traditional training centers are gradually falling behind, unable to keep up with the current general pace.

First of all, the recent emergence of youth training centers of Hanoi FC, PVF, Viettel has produced many outstanding talents of Vietnamese football, contributing to the framework of the U23 Vietnam team and the Vietnam National Team to aim for further, higher goals ahead. The story of the U19 generation of Hoang Anh Gia Lai with the names Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, Xuan Truong... although contributing greatly to the victory of Thuong Chau and the end of the Park Hang-seo dynasty, almost "hit the ceiling" when the Vietnam National Team failed in the 3rd qualifying round of the World Cup and could not retain the throne in the last 2 consecutive AFF Cups, requiring Vietnamese football to find a new, more competitive, more effective path for that reason.

Coach Le Ky Phuong during a training session for the U11 team. Photo courtesy

According to statistics from the 30th, 31st and 32nd SEA Games, Hoang Anh Gia Lai's youth team only had a few names appearing, such as Viet Hung and Thanh Son at SEA Games 30 and Quoc Viet at SEA Games 32. Similarly, in the 20th and 31st SEA Games, the famous youth training center Song Lam Nghe An did not have any names called. But it is worth mentioning that in this 32nd SEA Games, among the 24 players going to Cambodia, there are 3 names from the Song Lam Nghe An training center: Xuan Tien, Van Cuong and Van Binh. These are the stars of the 2003 generation, who won the National U17 Championship in 2020, not to mention the outstanding growth of Van Binh, who is currently playing for U19 Song Lam Nghe An.

For a long time, the list of teams has been almost devoid of names from traditional training centers such as Nam Dinh, Dong Thap, Khanh Hoa... Lack of youth training resources, failure to apply modern technology, lack of regularly upgraded coaching staff... are the basic reasons why local and grassroots training centers have not been able to keep up with the new development trend for a long time. It is very fortunate that the centers of Hanoi FC, PVF, Viettel or NutiFood Academy... are gradually taking over the position, in addition to trying to maintain the high quality of the Song Lam Nghe An center as known.

Recently, the story of Quang Nam Club facing the risk of dissolution, or before that, the bell rang from Binh Dinh, even the story of the provincial budget related to youth training in Song Lam Nghe An are not easy problems for the youth training mission of Vietnamese football. If youth training, youth lines under the clubs, are an inseparable part of the club, then the requirement of socializing football will not allow "eating" the budget source? But if youth training is an activity of the physical education and sports movement at the grassroots level, at the local level, it is a different story, is it impossible for the club to use the budget to train youth and also operate professionally according to the socialized model? I know that, but for a long time it has not been "solved", so there is a story that at the end of the year, the end of the month, the trainees do not receive allowances, bonuses, leading to this and that very sad murmuring?

When professional football took over, the localities that had previously developed subsidized football faced difficulties and quickly disintegrated, such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The remaining localities were very miserable, such as Nam Dinh and Nghe An, and gradually fell down the rankings, such as Dong Thap and Khanh Hoa... Currently, after a long period of losing their fighting spirit, Hanoi has returned stronger than ever with 3 powerful V-League teams including Hanoi FC, Viettel and Hanoi Police, with the core of most of the national teams, while the players from Hoang Anh Gia Lai or Song Lam Nghe An only have a few names left, not the best as mentioned at the beginning of the article.

Here, there is no mechanism for anyone but still the general development mechanism of professional football in Vietnam. So why are there places that do well, continuously producing football talents such as Quang Hai, Hung Dung, Van Hau, Hoang Duc, Van Khang, Van Truong, Van Tung... while other places can only have "average" players, "spending their youth to stay in the league", football is just "playing for fun"? How can playing for fun be good enough to be present in international competitions, even just like the SEA Games?

Then, there will come a time when football will not go beyond the rule of “water flows to the low places”, from youth training to football talents will be gathered in the best places to train, mature and contribute. The young football buds will be watched by famous training centers from a young age, will be trained in the most competitive environment possible and will have the highest opportunity to develop their talents, without being constrained in any circumstances.

Of course, after Van Khang, Van Truong or Van Binh, who we have just witnessed playing "above level" as mentioned above, there will be opportunities for many other talents who are quietly growing up here and there, to be called by name, to be officially selected in the composition of national and international teams. Only then, will Vietnamese football be able to create competition and develop, and have the hope of approaching and being on par with the most developed football in the region and continent in the not too distant future./.

Hoa Bui