But the heart is full of hope for the future

Vietnam team has a very solid foundation

As we have predicted, the performance of Vietnamese players at the AFF Cup 2024 will be much better than the friendly matches during the FIFA Days in September and October 2024. In the friendly matches during the above time frames, the V-League has not started for long, the players have not yet "warmed up". In particular, striker Nguyen Xuan Son was injured in the early stages of the 2024-2025 season and had to sit out some of the first rounds of the V-League.

The success of the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup started from the V-League.

However, by the end of November 2024, things were different. The players had played more matches, and the V-League gradually entered a period of intense competition. Thanks to that, the players' performance improved. As for Nguyen Xuan Son, the V-League rounds right before the Vietnam team gathered to prepare for the AFF Cup (late November) were the rounds when this striker was at his best form and fitness, before he brought that form to the Vietnam team.

AFF Cup 2024 is also the tournament where people witnessed central defender Thanh Chung play better than ever. This was thanks to the time he had to stabilize his spirit and form in the domestic arena not long before.

Also at the AFF Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik introduced two brand new faces, including central midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan and left-back Nguyen Van Vi. Before the Korean coach, very few audiences knew about these two players, except for Thanh Hoa audiences (where Doan Ngoc Tan is playing for the Thanh team) and Nam Dinh audiences (Nguyen Van Vi is playing for the Thanh Nam team).

All Vietnamese players participating in AFF Cup 2024 are playing domestically.

Also under coach Kim Sang-sik, striker Bui Vi Hao plays better than ever. Perhaps after playing for the Vietnam U.23 team under coach Hoang Anh Tuan at the 2024 AFC U.23 Championship, the 2024 AFF Cup is the tournament that will help Bui Vi Hao reach new heights.

That shows that the potential of the V-League in particular, as well as the domestic tournament system in general, is still very large. Coaches can still find "rough diamonds" from the domestic playground. This is the type of player that if ordinary people look at, it is difficult to see the good in these players. However, for coaches, they have a professional eye, they have the ability to see people, so they know where to put those players, so that the players can fully develop the quintessence hidden in each individual.

On the other hand, the success of the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup will also be a source of encouragement for the V-League and the domestic tournament system, aiming to develop the domestic playground even better. Two players currently playing for the first division, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Dinh Thanh Binh, also made their mark at the AFF Cup. In particular, Hoang Duc played very well. The team he is playing for is currently holding the top position in the first division.

The success of Vietnamese football at the Southeast Asian Championship is proof that the quality of the current domestic playground is capable of producing bright talents, providing for the national team, competing for the highest achievements with other football backgrounds in the region.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tu-ngoi-vo-dich-aff-cup-nhin-ve-v-league-ma-long-phoi-phoi-day-tuong-lai-185250108233056149.htm