Do naturalized players help the Vietnamese team become stronger?

Nguyen Xuan Son (12), a naturalized player, has left many marks playing in the Vietnamese national team.

Recently, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has sent official letters to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Security to support and expedite the naturalization process for foreign players who are capable and eager to contribute to Vietnamese football. Currently, many foreign players in the V.League have met the requirement of living and playing in Vietnam for 5 years and can apply for citizenship. Notable names include Gustavo Santana (SHB Da Nang), Rimario Gordon (Dong A Thanh Hoa), Janclesio, and Geovane Magno (Ninh Binh).

This move demonstrates the openness in the VFF's policy regarding the use of naturalized players, as well as the coaching mindset of Coach Kim Sang-sik, who is reportedly willing to call up several qualified foreign players to the national team.

However, the big question is whether Rimario, Gustavo Santana, Geovane Magno, or most recently Hendrio Araujo, who has officially acquired Vietnamese citizenship under the new name Do Hoang Hen, will truly strengthen the national team, or will they spark a wave of controversial opinions?

Before becoming eligible for Vietnamese citizenship, it's undeniable that the aforementioned foreign players were among the top players in the V.League for the past half-decade.

Rimario won the top scorer title in the 2022 season, while Geovane Magno left a strong mark with 38 goals and 26 assists in 117 matches in Vietnam's top football league.

Meanwhile, the central defensive duo of Gustavo and Janclesio have long established their class with ideal physiques and extensive playing experience. As for Hendrio, he is bringing the football from the renowned La Masia academy to clubs in Binh Dinh, Nam Dinh , and now Hanoi, breathing new life into the V.League.

However, the common point among all the aforementioned foreign players is that they have all passed the age of 30, an age when performance and physical fitness begin to decline. Rimario, Hendrio, Gustavo, and Geovane Magno are all 31 years old, while Janclesio is 32. Furthermore, the performance of these foreign players in the 2025/2026 season is highly questionable.

With Rimario, the Jamaican striker was expected to help Dong A Thanh Hoa become a "dark horse" this season, but a serious ligament injury at the beginning of the 2024/2025 season caused him to lose his goal-scoring instinct. Geovane Magno, after joining Ninh Binh, also failed to maintain his form, as he is now only the third-choice striker.

Meanwhile, the central defensive duo of Janclesio and Gustavo Santana have yet to play a single minute in the V.League this season, as they will only be eligible to play after completing their naturalization procedures. As for Hendrio, although he has just returned to playing after nearly half a year on the sidelines, whether he can return to his peak form remains a big question. While the experience and technique of the player who came through La Masia academy are still present, age is beginning to make it difficult for him to maintain the same form and fitness as when he was at his best.

The VFF was right and successful with the naturalization of Nguyen Xuan Son (Rafaelson), but the 2024 AFF Cup champion is a rare and special case. Xuan Son came to Vietnam to play when he was only 22 years old, and after just 5 years, he wore the national team jersey at the peak of his career.

Before being called up by Coach Kim Sang-sik, Xuan Son was among the top 10 highest-scoring players in the world in 2024, a figure sufficient to prove his superior class and forcing the VFF's technical department and Coach Kim to make the groundbreaking decision to recall a foreign player to the Vietnamese national team after more than a decade.

Following the success of Nguyen Xuan Son, more and more foreign players have expressed their desire to contribute to the Vietnamese national team. However, when looking at their professional quality and potential contribution to the team, there are still big questions. Coach Kim Sang Sik is aiming for a revolution in the Vietnamese national team's playing style, with the goal of harmonizing domestic players with skilled naturalized players. Nevertheless, this combination needs to be implemented cautiously and rationally, avoiding a hasty move that could have the opposite effect, impacting the identity, cohesion, and overall spirit of the national team.

VU PHONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/cau-thu-nhap-tich-co-giup-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-manh-hon-post919744.html