Why haven't Vietnamese players of overseas origin created a significant impact?

Therefore, it's easy to understand why this season the "wave" of overseas Vietnamese players returning to play in the V-League has become more vibrant, attracting more attention from experts, the media, and fans near and far.

Vietnamese-German center-back Adriano Schmidt (Bui Duc Duy), whose father is Vietnamese and mother is German, has established himself in Vietnam after 5 years competing in the V.League. (Photo: VOV)

In line with the consistent policy of the Party and State that "Vietnamese people abroad are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation," in all socio-economic activities, including sports, overseas Vietnamese resources play a crucial role in the development and progress of each sector and force. While football started early in attracting overseas Vietnamese players, it hasn't been as fast or as strong as basketball or tennis, for example.

Remember at the 31st SEA Games, the basketball and tennis teams achieved success mainly thanks to the participation of many overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players in their national championships. These players formed the backbone of the national teams competing in regional and continental tournaments. The decision to open the doors of football to overseas Vietnamese players (previously considered foreign players) in the 2023 season was correct and timely, especially in the context of striving to qualify for the World Cup as soon as possible, in 2026 or 2030.

According to Wikipedia, the current list of Vietnamese expatriate footballers includes 75 players. The first name on the list is Lee Nguyen (Nguyen The Anh), who played for Hoang Anh Gia Lai from the 2009-2010 season, and most recently for Ho Chi Minh City FC in the 2022 season. However, the newest name, mentioned by Mr. Popov, head coach of Dong A Thanh Hoa, and the press – 17-year-old Do Nguyen Chung, currently playing for Slavia Sofia (Bulgaria) and reportedly being targeted by Barcelona – has not yet been updated. This demonstrates that the number of Vietnamese expatriate players is truly an abundant and unquantifiable source.

Over the years, Hai Phong, Binh Dinh, and Pho Hien have proven to be successful in recruiting overseas Vietnamese players, especially with players like Van Lam and Adriao Schmidt (Bui Duc Duy) performing well at their clubs, being called up to the Vietnamese national team, and establishing themselves in the team. Similarly, Mac Hong Quan and Martin Lo have been called up to the Vietnam U23 team. This 2023 season, Binh Dinh has a strong presence of overseas Vietnamese players, and some have shone brightly, making significant contributions to the team's success. Van Lam, Mac Hong Quan, Schmidt, and Viktor Le at Binh Dinh have played a major role in the team's top position after the first four rounds, proving this point.

People are talking about the beautiful coordinated goal scored by Binh Dinh in their victory against Khanh Hoa, which involved Viktor Le, and the fact that he was brought on in 2 out of the first 4 matches is considered a not-so-bad initial result for this Vietnamese-born player. Another case making a strong impression is Ryan Ha at Khanh Hoa, who scored a goal for his team in their away win against Ho Chi Minh City, not to mention an assist in the previous match against Dong A Thanh Hoa. In addition, Patrik Le Giang's debut for Hanoi Police is also attracting attention after Bui Tien Dung's return with high determination but without the expected results…

However, if we look at it objectively and fairly, among the Vietnamese players of overseas origin who have played recently, only Van Lam has truly demonstrated his professional ability and necessary professionalism, while the rest are merely "average" or below average. When Van Lam went to Thailand or Japan and didn't have the opportunity to compete, he still maintained his focus and stability, not losing his form when he returned to Binh Dinh or the Vietnamese national team. Meanwhile, Adriano Schmidt, who was once called up to the national team by coach Park Hang-seo and even made the final squad list, remained a reserve player in the national team's major campaigns.

Players like Viktor Le and Ryan Ha initially achieved something, but it seems that the further they progress in the V-League, the more difficult things become. We clearly saw how much trouble Viktor Le faced when playing against Van Hau, and Ryan Ha faced similar difficulties when playing against Song Lam Nghe An players recently… Indeed, the 2023 V-League hoped that overseas Vietnamese players would create a "strong wind," but it seems only a "gentle breeze" has been created so far.

It seems that top players like Philipp Nguyen and, more recently, Do Nguyen Chung are still aiming for a major European club to develop their careers, and Vietnamese football hasn't been attractive enough to these talents? The latest story about Mr. Troussier and the French-Vietnamese player Jason Quang Vinh Pendant "flirting" with each other could open up one of the many opportunities that Vietnamese football needs to pursue to attract significant resources from abroad. But generally speaking, the V-League must fundamentally rise to the highest quality in the region and then reach continental standards; only then can we hope for "good wine needs no bush," and "wealth attracts visitors" as everyone knows.