Looking back at the past year with losses in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup, besides the responsibility of coach Troussier, let's frankly admit: the Vietnamese team is lacking a successor with enough caliber to outline a long-term strategy towards the Asian and world playgrounds.
TRAINING FOR CHILDREN DOWN
When he first took over the position of head coach of the Vietnamese national team from Mr. Park Hang-seo, Coach Philippe Troussier stated his opinion: "Vietnamese football needs 100 players for the World Cup goal". The above list includes the pillars under Mr. Park, along with young players at the U.23, U.19, U.17, and even U.15 levels, who need to be "molded" into the same machine, and imbued with the same coaching philosophy, to create a competitive Vietnamese national team for long-term goals.
Vietnamese football can only develop stably and sustainably in the long term if it has a solid foundation.
During his short year in charge, Coach Troussier has actively rejuvenated the Vietnamese team, with many faces given opportunities such as Tuan Tai, Minh Trong, Van Tung (born in 2001); Thai Son, Van Khang (born in 2003); Dinh Bac (born in 2004). The French strategist's goal is to mold the next generation to gradually replace the seniors. This is a similar strategy that Mr. Park applied to the Vietnamese team in early 2018, when he also brought a series of young players to the team. However, why did Mr. Park succeed so brilliantly, while Coach Troussier failed? Besides the difference in coaching philosophy between the two coaches, the quality of the players has also become one of the main reasons.
Vietnamese football needs more young, potential players like Khuat Van Khang.
Remember, before coach Park Hang-seo took over the team, the generation of players born in 1995 - 1997 had many years of playing in the V-League. The generation of Cong Phuong, Van Toan, Tuan Anh, Van Thanh, Hong Duy, Xuan Truong... were trained systematically according to European standards, trained and played friendly matches with strong opponents continuously, "collided" in the V-League in their twenties. The generation of Quang Hai, Dinh Trong, Van Hau also made a strong impression when they won tickets to the U.20 World Cup 2017, won many youth tournaments. The two generations of talent met at the same time, and then with the right coach, Vietnamese football took off.
Vietnam team needs new leader
This is also the period when Vietnamese football flourished with famous youth training centers such as Hanoi, PVF, HAGL, Viettel or SLNA. Each "gem furnace" has its own products to be proud of. For example, Hanoi has Quang Hai, Dinh Trong, Duy Manh, Van Hau; HAGL has the famous first and second batches; Viettel has Hoang Duc, Bui Tien Dung, or SLNA has Van Duc, Xuan Manh. However, these are still the same centers, but at this time they have not been able to produce a generation of good players with a level approaching their seniors. The current "rough gems" at the U.23 and U.19 levels all lack outstanding faces. In the youth arena, U.22 Vietnam only won the bronze medal at the 32nd SEA Games after two consecutive gold medals. The rate of U.23 players promoted to play and leave their mark in the V-League has also seriously decreased compared to before.
DEPENDS ON THE BOSS'S POCKET
According to football expert Doan Minh Xuong, Vietnam's youth football is declining due to lack of investment, as well as a lack of a standard training process: "Vietnam football has been playing professionally for 20 years. However, we do not have a specific development direction, so the clubs mainly live on the money and happiness of the owners. Football does not make money on its own. Therefore, although Vietnam has 26 professional clubs in the V-League and the first division, most of them do not meet the standards set by FIFA and AFC in terms of finance, facilities, and player training conditions. Very few clubs take care of youth training, the rest invest from the top."
The expert in charge of school football of the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation analyzed: "Even with teams that take good care of young players, there is no unified youth training process nationwide. PVF, Viettel, Hanoi or HAGL, each place does it differently, there are no standards. The selection and training of young players also do not apply science and technology, but are mainly based on empiricism. The selectors and coaches have not been able to come up with a formula, a unified training philosophy to form a system. Currently, each training center plays in a "beat", investing appropriately in the owner's pocket, but there is no long-term future. Therefore, youth training in Vietnam is based on... luck, if you are lucky you will get a good group, but there are no good products on a regular basis."
NEED TO RESTRUCTURING THE PLATFORM
Mr. Doan Minh Xuong emphasized: "Coach Park Hang-seo's success is associated with the generation of players born in 1995 - 1997. This is also the period when the training centers all trained quite well, creating a large number of talents. A good generation with a suitable coach helped Vietnamese football make history. But because of that, we misunderstood our strength, and when the limitations were revealed, we had to correct them now."
Mr. Xuong also said: "Vietnamese football must restructure its foundation and re-establish a football development model in both professional and grassroots aspects. In terms of youth training, Vietnamese football needs to gather social resources and have more cooperation from businesses to upgrade the quality of facilities and management resources. Only with good management and professional staff can players be good. Without good teachers, don't expect good students." (continued)
BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION AT THE CLUB
Expert Doan Minh Xuong advised: "VFF also needs to coordinate with experts, outline the basic standards and criteria for youth training for football teams to follow. We need to understand how to train players from 11 to 13 years old, from 13 to 17 years old, according to what philosophy is suitable for modern football. Let's build a solid foundation at the club, then outline an investment roadmap for the national team, for U.23 Vietnam according to short-term and long-term goals. How will we invest in the Vietnam team, with what goals, and how will U.23 Vietnam be oriented to succeed their seniors in the near future. Coaches in the Vietnam team will come and go, the important thing is how the internal strength of Vietnamese football is built".
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