Vietnamese Football: The Journey to Continental Stage and Strategic Challenges Ahead

When the final whistle echoed through the My Dinh National Stadium on a weekend evening, I stood in my usual corner spot, the place I have called home for the past five years. The Vietnamese national team had just played an important match in the Asian Cup qualifiers. The stands were ablaze with more than 38,000 supporters, but what caught my attention was not the score on the electronic board. I focused on the players' footsteps, the spaces between the lines, and how they moved without the ball. The footsteps on the pitch never lie; you just need to stand on the touchline long enough. And that night, the footsteps of the Vietnamese team told me: we are at an important crossroads. The match ended in a 1-1 draw against a higher-rated opponent. Many considered this a positive result, but I saw deeper things. In the 67th minute, when our central midfielder lost the ball in the midfield area, the distance between the midfield line and the defensive line stretched to 45 meters. I measured this from my observation position. 45 meters is too far, and the opponent immediately exploited that space to score the equalizer. This is not an individual mistake. This is a systemic issue. Since Vietnamese football shifted to a possession-based philosophy, we have faced a difficult puzzle: how to maintain defensive solidity while still implementing an attacking style of play? Looking back over the past five years, Vietnamese football has made remarkable progress. From being a weak team in Southeast Asia, we have risen to become the number one force in the region, consistently appearing in continental tournaments. The national team reached the Asian Cup quarter-finals in 2026, a historic achievement. The youth teams have also enjoyed success, with SEA Games gold medals and appearances at the U20 World Cup. But these very successes raise bigger questions. When we stand at a higher position, the pressure is greater. Our opponents are no longer familiar Southeast Asian teams, but powerful sides from West Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia, with abundant financial resources and well-developed sporting infrastructures. I recall a training session of the U23 team last March. The head coach spent 40 minutes just teaching players how to move after losing the ball. He repeated over and over: "You must understand, when you lose the ball, the first 5 seconds are the most important. If you don't press immediately, the opponent will have time to observe and pass the ball into the space behind." That is a basic tactical lesson, but it reflects a reality: modern football demands completeness in both attack and defense. You cannot just play beautifully without knowing how to defend, nor can you just defend without knowing how to attack. The physical conditioning issue is also a concern. In the most recent match, GPS data showed Vietnamese players averaged 9.8 km per person, while the opponent covered 10.6 km. This nearly 1 km gap reveals the difference in physical foundation, especially in the final 15 minutes when the match tempo increases. To improve this, systematic investment in the youth development system is needed. I have visited youth training centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and several other provinces. What I noticed is a lack of consistency in teaching curricula. Each center has its own methodology, lacking a unified football philosophy. This contrasts sharply with the models of Japan or South Korea, where there is a unified training system from the national level. Three times mispronouncing Xhaka taught me to read people before writing. From that experience, I learned that to understand a football nation, you must look at the system, not just match results. Vietnam's youth development system is in the process of improvement, but much work remains. Another notable issue is the gap between clubs. While some teams like Hanoi FC, Viettel, or Ho Chi Minh City have good investment conditions, many other clubs are still struggling with financial problems. This disparity leads to talented players concentrating in a few big clubs, reducing the competitiveness of the league. From a tactical perspective, I notice Vietnamese football is trending from the 4-3-3 formation toward 3-4-3 or 3-5-2. This trend is not new globally, but its application in Vietnam raises questions about suitability with the physical attributes and skills of the players. The three-center-back formation requires wing-backs with good stamina and attacking ability, while center-backs must read the game well. In recent national team training sessions, I see the head coach experimenting with various options. Some sessions feature three center-backs, others return to four defenders. This flexibility is necessary, but there also needs to be a clear system so players understand their roles. A bright spot recently is the emergence of many talented young players. Names like Nguyen Quang Hai (born 2026), Nguyen Cong Phuong (born 2026), and Doan Van Hau (born 2026) have established themselves. However, the question is how to sustain their development, avoiding stagnation after a period of success. Experience from developed football nations shows that sending young players abroad is an important path. Japan and South Korea have succeeded with this strategy, and Vietnamese football is beginning to follow suit. However, integrating into the European football environment is not easy, requiring careful preparation both professionally and psychologically. In a conversation with a German scout working in Vietnam, he shared: "Vietnamese players have good technique, but they need to improve their game reading ability and decision-making speed. In Europe, everything happens faster, and if they cannot adapt, they will struggle." This assessment is completely accurate. Decision-making speed is one of the most important factors in modern football. Vietnamese players need to be trained in high-pressure environments where they must make decisions in short timeframes. Regarding finances, Vietnamese football is making significant strides. The V-League has attracted interest from sponsors, with broadcasting rights value increasing year by year. However, compared to top Asian leagues like the J-League or K-League, we still have a huge gap. What matters is building a sustainable model, not overly dependent on wealthy benefactors. Clubs need to generate their own revenue from ticket sales, broadcasting rights, and other commercial activities. Empty stands, full hearts — that year I understood why I sit here. During the pandemic period, when matches had to be played behind closed doors, I still came to the stadium, stood in my familiar spot, and recorded what happened on the pitch. It was a difficult time, but it was also when I realized how deep my love for Vietnamese football truly runs. Looking ahead, I believe Vietnamese football stands before a great opportunity. With proper investment in youth development, improved infrastructure, and building a sustainable system, we can compete on equal footing with Asia's leading football nations. However, patience is required. Success does not come overnight. Japan took more than 30 years to build its football from scratch. South Korea also went through many ups and downs before achieving its current status. Vietnamese football is on the right track, but much work remains. I will continue standing at the corner of the pitch, observing, recording, and telling stories about the people who dedicate themselves day and night to the beautiful game. Because I believe that one day, Vietnamese football will achieve the successes we all hope for.