Positive effects from the Vietnamese national team.

The arrival of a naturalized striker.Xuan SonWith two titles won (Top Scorer and Best Player), the return to their best form of Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Tien Dung, Xuan Manh..., the solid performance in their first starts of Dinh Trieu, Ngoc Tan, Van Vy... are positive signs that should prompt national teams and many individual players, both domestic and international, to re-evaluate issues related to training and competition, and even the current national football development strategy.

Following the 2024 ASEAN Cup, regional teams have clearly made some notable and rapid moves. First, Indonesia sacked coach Shin Tae-yong and continued its massive naturalization of players, citing their failure in the tournament. Next, Malaysia announced it would naturalize a dozen players to prepare for a match against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers later this year! Thailand, a top team in the region, is likely bitter after their double defeat against Vietnam, and it's highly probable they might invite Vietnam to the King Cup to "save face," or even "steal" their top striker Xuan Son if conditions allow, as rumored by the public.

In Vietnamese football, an atmosphere of excitement, confidence, and competitive spirit is clearly spreading after winning the ASEAN Cup 2024. Immediately following that tournament, clubs like Dong A Thanh Hoa and Hanoi Police performed exceptionally well in the regional cup. In particular, the brilliant performance of national team player Ngoc Tan in Thailand stands out; he may even have overshadowed striker Chanathip, whom we have long been wary of. In the Philippines, Van Do – a young player always considered a candidate for the Vietnamese national team – also showed that he deserves a chance in the future.

Immediately following the aforementioned important tournament, the Round of 16 of the National Cup kicked off, "warming up" for Round 10 of the V-League. Prominent Vietnamese football stars such as Mạnh Dũng (The Cong Viettel), Xuân Tiến (Song Lam Nghe An), Công Phượng (Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc), and goalkeepers Văn Lâm (injured and unable to participate in the ASEAN Cup) and Trung Kiên (not playing in the ASEAN Cup) all showcased their excellent abilities, leading their teams to the quarterfinals. This demonstrates that the ASEAN Cup victory is creating positive energy for the entire football scene, especially after coach Kim Sang-sik recently announced that he "will continue to search for new talents for the Vietnamese National Team and the U23 Vietnamese Team."

More importantly, after winning their third cup in the region's top tournament, the development strategy of Vietnamese football has been affirmed more clearly than ever before with selective naturalization coupled with improving the quality of the V-League and youth training, meaning they are walking on "two legs," similar to the approach of South Korea and Japan...

After Xuan Son was called up to the Vietnamese national team and performed excellently, it is very likely that the aspirations and efforts of Jason Quang Vinh or Hendrio will be rewarded. And the "effect" of Xuan Son, Van Lam, Nguyen Fillip... will not stop, especially from the source of Vietnamese expatriate players and foreign players who qualify after playing in the V-League.

The next point to confirm is that Korean coaches have proven to be very successful with Vietnamese football, stemming from cultural similarities and good integration, leading to the resounding success of his predecessor Park Hang-seo and paving the way for the subsequent success of Kim Sang-sik, as we have seen.

"The 'big family' of Vietnamese football" once had the successful coach Calistore, the coach Park Hang-seo who was called 'dad' by his players, and now has 'brother' Kim, like a united family fighting with all their might... this is something not easily found in the world of football in general."

And we cannot ignore the "social impact" of the Vietnamese national team's resounding success at the ASEAN Cup 2024. The Viet Tri cauldron is a powerful testament to the incredible support and encouragement that Vietnamese fans have given to the Golden Star Warriors.

The valuable rewards from organizations and individuals, the affection of fans near and far for the players, for Xuan Son, for coach Kim and his colleagues… further demonstrate the strong vitality of the belief in victory, of the dedication to Vietnamese football, to the country and people of Vietnam.

Chau Phu