Vietnam National Team: What are their goals at the 2023 Asian Cup?

Due to a change in the tournament schedule, the upcoming Asian Cup, to be played from January 2024 in Qatar, will still be referred to as the Asian Cup 2023.

The specific reasons were the hot summer weather in the Gulf region, coupled with the Qatar national team's participation in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup as invited guests, which led to the tournament being postponed from summer 2023 to early 2024.

It is known that Vietnamese football has participated in the Asian Cup for the 5th time, most recently in 2007, 2019 and 2023. The most recent achievement of...Vietnam national teamAt this continental tournament, they reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup in 2007 and 2019. This shows that this continental tournament is not unfamiliar to a developing football nation like Vietnam, although in reality, maintaining the "milestone" of reaching the quarter-finals is becoming increasingly difficult, without a bit of luck.

The story is still fresh in our minds: at the 2019 Asian Cup, when the Vietnamese national team was "flourishing" in every aspect, Quang Hai and his teammates had to sweat profusely, plus a strange stroke of luck, to get through the group stage. The Vietnamese team played three group stage matches, losing to Iraq 2-3, losing to Iran 0-2, and winning against Yemen 2-0, along with a tiebreaker regarding yellow cards, to advance to the knockout round. In the next match against Jordan, the Vietnamese team once again had luck in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, to reach the quarterfinals. But the story couldn't continue; the dream had to end when facing opponents who were more experienced and skilled…

In this Asian Cup, the Vietnamese national team is in Group D alongside Japan, Iraq, and Indonesia. Needless to say, the crucial task for coach Philippe Troussier's team is to overcome Indonesia, along with achieving better statistics, to secure a place in the knockout round as the best third-placed team in the group (along with the three third-placed teams from other groups). This is no easy task, but it's not insurmountable either, because Indonesia has always been a formidable opponent, even in difficult situations.

The biggest rival in Group D is Japan, considered the top contender for the ASIAN Cup title this year, and of course, Iraq is by no means a pushover. The Japanese team just defeated our neighbor Thailand 5-0, along with a series of resounding victories against powerful opponents like Germany, Türkiye, and Tunisia. The Vietnamese team only has a slight advantage: Coach Troussier is familiar with Japanese football and, having played against them before, we are not significantly outmatched by other opponents in the continent. This means Quang Hai and his teammates must try to minimize goals conceded and yellow cards to create an advantage for the team later on. Similarly, the Iraqi team is also a very strong opponent if they give it their all. The Vietnamese team just played a fair game against Iraq at My Dinh Stadium (0-1), and hopefully, the players will learn valuable lessons from this rematch to avoid regrettable mistakes, especially in the final minutes of the match…

For the Indonesian national team, their ambition and aggressive approach to naturalizing players are not actually a cause for concern, as nothing concrete has been decided yet, and coach Shin Tae-yong is facing calls for his dismissal from passionate fans. Meanwhile, although Philippe Troussier has not yet been able to create complete peace of mind, his position is secure, giving him the strength and resources to gradually improve and elevate the Vietnamese national team.

To date, no one has clearly stated the specific goal of the Vietnamese national team at this year's Asian Cup: reaching the quarterfinals like last time, or going even further? But certainly, what experts and fans at home are hoping for is high fighting spirit and an unwavering determination, regardless of the outcome, favorable or unfavorable! The most concrete goal of Vietnamese football, ultimately, is to gradually narrow the gap and approach the level of the top teams in the continent. Achieving this is a long process, requiring many successful and unsuccessful tournaments, many generations of players, and the involvement and contributions of society and the entire football system.

This goes to show that even if this Asian Cup isn't successful, it's not a disaster. Playing at the highest level in the continent at the young age of 19 or 20, like Dinh Bac, Thai Son, and Van Cuong, is a golden opportunity for them to gradually follow in the footsteps of their predecessors like Ngoc Hai, Hung Dung, and Hoang Duc, who are struggling with numerous difficulties as their form and potential are declining. Let's look at how important and decisive the experience gained in major tournaments is. In the first half, Japan fielded a team primarily playing in the J-League, resulting in a 0-0 draw. In the second half, they brought on players currently playing in Europe and easily overwhelmed their opponents with a 5-0 victory!

Therefore, regardless of whether they lose or not, the opportunity to face Japan or Iraq in an official tournament is a golden opportunity for any player, especially young players. Whether immediate or long-term goals are achieved or not, it all begins with concrete opportunities like these. And whether every opportunity is fully utilized and exploited always starts with the willpower and never-give-up spirit of both the coaching staff and each official and reserve player. That is also the spirit of "traveling far and wide to learn a lot."