Unforeseen consequences

Nothing escapes the notice of VAR.

Before VAR was implemented in the V-League (a trial at the end of the 2023 season and officially in the 2023-2024 season), Vietnamese players had already been exposed to this modern system at the 2019 Asian Cup and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. When VAR was introduced, Coach Park Hang-seo's team received one red card and five penalties in these two tournaments. Experts and fans can understand this, as it was a time when the players were still unfamiliar with playing with VAR.

Nguyen Manh Hung, a player born in 2005, received a red card after the referee consulted VAR during the match against Iraq U23 in the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

However, even after VAR was implemented for more than a season in domestic competitions, the problem of fouls committed by Vietnamese players in international tournaments continued. At the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese national team received two red cards and conceded two penalties. In the 2024 AFC U-23 Championship, the Vietnamese U-23 team, led by coach Hoang Anh Tuan, also received two red cards and conceded two penalties.

Many Vietnamese players have paid the price for unsportsmanlike conduct and foul play against opponents. This includes Khuất Văn Khang's stomp on an opponent's back after a header in the match against Iraq; Nguyễn Thanh Bình's shirt-pulling of Rafael Struick of Indonesia, leading to a penalty; Nguyễn Ngọc Thắng's foul in the penalty area against Kuwait U23; and Nguyễn Mạnh Hưng's direct kick to the leg of an Iraq U23 player. In these incidents, referees carefully reviewed VAR before making decisions, rather than making hasty or reckless rulings.

At this point, we can't blame it on our inexperience. What we need to do is look at the domestic league, where players still haven't used VAR to adjust their behavior.

It is reprehensible to exploit "loopholes".

It can be said that VAR is bringing positive aspects, helping Vietnamese referees reduce pressure and errors in crucial situations. Before the V-League took a break to make way for the Vietnam U23 team to compete in the 2024 U23 Asian Championship, in round 15 alone, 14 players were suspended due to disciplinary action. Many of these players received cards after referees consulted VAR. In round 14, referees issued 26 yellow cards and 4 red cards (many of which were issued after consulting VAR).

VAR in V-League

However, many players exploit the "loophole" in VAR to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct. In Round 8 of the 2023-2024 V-League season, Nguyen Thanh Thao of Ho Chi Minh City FC elbowed Nguyen Van Hanh of Ha Tinh FC in the face. This match took place at Thong Nhat Stadium and there was no VAR. The main referee did not observe the incident and only issued a yellow card. According to a VAR expert, if VAR had been in place, the referee would likely have made a stricter decision against the offending player.

From the above statistics, it can be tentatively seen that VAR has truly gained "weight" in the V-League, but on the other hand, many players still don't "fear" VAR, and don't know how to use VAR to adjust their behavior on the field. Brutal fouls and dirty tricks remain the "tactics" players use to gain an advantage or intimidate opponents.

Even young players resort to dirty tactics a lot. Nguyen Hong Phuc's elbow strike on an Indonesian U23 player in the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship final is one example. Fortunately, the tournament did not have VAR, so the defender born in 2003 did not receive a red card, and the Vietnamese U23 team still won the championship.

In the V-League or international tournaments, players may see foul play and dirty tactics without VAR as a short-term advantage. However, committing fouls can also disrupt the game too much, affecting the quality of play. For Vietnamese football to develop stably and sustainably, players need to change their awareness, behavior, and conduct on the field now. Otherwise, when VAR is implemented in the V-League, and in the future in the First Division, the players and their clubs will be the first to pay the price. And of course, the national teams will then suffer significant consequences (to be continued).

Lost everything.

Recently, after the 2023 Asian Cup, Khuất Văn Khang and Lê Phạm Thành Long were fined $2,000 each by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). These two players received red cards in matches against Iraq and Indonesia respectively during the group stage. The AFC warned that the penalties would be even harsher if the two Vietnamese players reoffended.

In addition to the cash fine, Van Khang and Thanh Long were also suspended for one match. Thanh Long missed the final group stage match of the 2023 Asian Cup. Meanwhile, Van Khang was not allowed to play in the match against Indonesia in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Similarly, U.23 Vietnam players like Ngoc Thang and Manh Hung are also suspended for the 2024 U.23 Asian Championship. If Manh Hung is called up to the U.23 Vietnam team again in the next training camp, he will have to miss two matches in the 2026 U.23 Asian Championship qualifiers.

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