Vietnam team strategy
Before Nguyen Xuan Son appeared, the door to the Vietnamese national team was rarely opened to naturalized players who did not have Vietnamese blood. At that time, the national team was still the story of pure Vietnamese players, or overseas Vietnamese, like the cases of Van Lam or Nguyen Filip.
However, Xuan Son's brilliant performance with goals, along with his burning desire to contribute and patriotism, has opened the "valve" of thinking, making prejudices about naturalized foreign players almost disappear.
After Xuan Son, there have been names that have or could be naturalized mentioned as feasible options for the Vietnamese team, from Vietnamese origin such as Kyle Colonna, Viktor Le, Pierre Lamothe to foreign origin such as Hendrio Araujo, Michael Olaha, Geovane Magno...
Xuan Son brings endless inspiration
This is a good sign, proving that the Vietnamese team can welcome new resources that bring competitiveness and quality of play (what if the Vietnamese team had 2 or 3 more players of Xuan Son's level!?), instead of relying solely on youth training to wait for a generation of talent that may appear a long time from now. This is also the common trend of many teams in the world.
However, naturalization may be a shorter path, but it is not a "shortcut" to success.
Expert Doan Minh Xuong, head of the school football department of the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation, commented: "V-League teams can naturalize players, but choosing who to join the national team is the coach's decision, and that decision needs to be made carefully and with calculation. Coach Kim Sang-sik needs to clearly state to the VFF's professional board: in which positions we are weak, we must have naturalized players (like strikers), in which positions we can be patient with domestic players, and in which positions we need to nurture young talent."
Jason Quang Vinh (right) may be able to play for the national team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers
Commentator Vu Quang Huy told Thanh Nien Newspaper: set specific criteria to choose suitable people such as having a higher level than domestic players in the same position, being able to speak Vietnamese at a basic communication level on the field, being willing to contribute to the team, being suitable for long-term plans, loving Vietnamese culture and country...
Where is the Vietnamese team weak?
Nguyen Xuan Son made a brilliant impression, not only because he is classy, but also because he plays in a position that Vietnamese football has long been weak in: striker.
Previously, coach Kim Sang-sik had agile, skillful midfielders, but lacked an all-round striker who could compete and sweep to open the way for his teammates to advance. Xuan Son has brought the perfect piece, so that the Vietnamese team can truly understand how "satisfying" a top striker can be.
After Xuan Son, it was Jason Quang Vinh's turn to be mentioned. The player born in 1997 is receiving maximum support to complete the naturalization procedure. Jason is classy (he played for the French U.16 and U.18 teams, played 8 years in Ligue 1) and he also plays in a position that Vietnamese football is lacking in good players: left back.
Coach Kim Sang-sik needs more good players
Since Doan Van Hau's injury, the Vietnamese team has not been able to find another all-round left-back, good at both attack and defense, and good in the air. Many options have been used, from Hong Duy, Tuan Tai to Van Vi, but they are all only at a moderate level compared to Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese team lacks a fast, strong and durable left-back to guard the left wing in a 3-center-back formation. Jason Quang Vinh has everything Mr. Kim needs, and his enthusiastic performance in the 2-1 victory of the Hanoi Police Club over Ha Tinh in the National Cup showed that the 28-year-old player is ready. When Jason Quang Vinh has Vietnamese citizenship, he can be called up to the national team.
Some other key positions that could welcome naturalized players include defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder or adding a striker to support Xuan Son. These are areas where if Mr. Kim has good players, the Vietnamese team's playing style will be more solid and worth watching.
The squad in Mr. Kim's hands is enough to win the Southeast Asian championship. But to advance to Asia as coach Kim Sang-sik and fans wish, the Vietnamese team needs to be better. The Korean coach still prioritizes looking for pure Vietnamese players in the V-League, but if there are more options, the road to success will clearly be less thorny.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-se-don-cau-thu-nhap-tich-o-vi-tri-nao-185250115212838968.htm
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