Is it time for a "change of blood" for the Vietnam team?

5 golden years

Vietnamese football has gone through 5 years under the reign of coach Park Hang-seo (from 2017-2023). During that journey, the "golden star warriors" have achieved countless successes.

Nguyen Cong Phuong is an important player of the Vietnam national team but has played less and less during the last time Mr. Park Hang-seo led the team.

This is not an unreal title because looking at what coach Park Hang-seo and his team have done, even the most demanding fans have to praise them.

Before that, we had gone through a period of stagnation and had not achieved any success in both regional and continental arenas. Therefore, the explosion under coach Park Hang-seo can be considered a miracle of Vietnamese football.

During those golden years, the Vietnamese team faced many big names in Asian football and had performances that surprised their opponents.

The two most memorable matches were probably the thrashing of China (3-1) and the draw with Japan (1-1) in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. It is important to know that before creating those earthquakes, the Vietnamese team was rated much lower than its opponents.

But of course, this success is not only measured by titles or statistics, but it is also a source of motivation for Vietnamese football to develop in the future.

The one at the top - the one struggling to regain the glory

To achieve such resounding success, the talent of Coach Park Hang-seo is unquestionable. The Korean coach has built a team that plays with solidarity, discipline, and science, and always enters the match with the spirit of warriors.

Not to mention the technical issues, just that spirit alone has somewhat discouraged the opponents of the Vietnamese team.

But it must also be admitted that, during this period, Vietnamese football has produced a series of talented players, such as: Quang Hai, Tien Linh, Hoang Duc, Que Ngoc Hai, Trong Hoang, Van Thanh, Tuan Anh, Duy Manh, Cong Phuong, Van Hau, Van Toan, Xuan Truong, Phan Van Duc, Bui Tien Dung, Do Hung Dung...

It is worth mentioning that these stars do not appear sporadically but they "bloom" together at a certain stage, thereby creating a strong collective.

However, reality shows that the time of these stars is gradually passing and it is time for Vietnamese football to renew itself to reach further goals.

At this time, many stars of the "golden generation" such as: Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, Tien Linh, Van Thanh, Van Toan or Duy Manh are still at the peak of their careers and they are reliable pillars of the national team in recent tournaments.

At the AFF Cup 2024, the above players contributed greatly to helping the red team win the championship with an undefeated record. Including 2 consecutive wins against arch-rival Thailand in the final.

But their teammates: Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, Xuan Truong, Phan Van Duc, Que Ngoc Hai and Do Hung Dung have all passed the other side of their careers. Therefore, the frequency of their appearances in the national team has also decreased day by day.

With their inherent class, these stars still play well in domestic tournaments. But to wear the national team jersey and compete in international tournaments, this seems a bit too much for them.

In terms of battle experience and class, they still have it, even surpassing the younger generation. But football is a sport that requires a lot of physical strength and this is a barrier for them.

It is probably only a matter of time before they are completely removed from the national team, and of course this will bring regret to the fans.

But perhaps it is time for us to face the reality that Vietnamese football needs a revolution and the stars who made the golden age will have to leave to make way for the next generation.

Expect quality young players

Talking about this issue, commentator Quang Huy said: "To complete this revolution well, I think we must have a sense of inheritance. We should not dismiss the players from Coach Park Hang-seo's time who are still enthusiastic and capable.

In my opinion, we should still take advantage of the experience of old players, they will be the foundation to build the next generation for Vietnamese football."

Reality shows that to achieve long-term success, every football team must have a solid foundation. In this case, stars at the top such as Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Van Thanh, Tien Dung, Tien Linh, Van Toan or Duy Manh will be the "bricks" that build a new foundation for Vietnamese football.

Therefore, although a revolution is urgently needed, that does not mean we will completely change the force in the national team.

Looking at what is happening, commentator Quang Huy expressed: "Vietnamese football under coach Kim Sang-sik can completely create a golden period, even better than the time of coach Park Hang-seo.

Currently, we have a generation of very high-quality young players. In addition, VFF is now paying more attention to youth football, especially the U17 team. This is a very encouraging sign because before that, we only paid attention to older teams such as U19 or U20.

But now we are doing well right from the U17 group. This will be the driving force for the whole football industry to develop. I firmly believe that Vietnamese football can completely create a new, more beautiful era."

During the golden half decade under coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnamese football won the 2018 AFF Cup championship, 2 SEA Games gold medals in men's football, runner-up at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup, ranked 4th at the 2018 Asiad, entered the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup and participated in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. During this period, Vietnamese football was dubbed by international media as "Asia's rising star".

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-da-den-luc-thay-mau-192250331231956491.htm