The Vietnamese national team was lackluster.

Although the Vietnamese team has won all three of their recent matches, coach Kim and his players have yet to clearly demonstrate their playing style.

Despite being the reigning Southeast Asian champions and ranking 77 places higher than their opponents in the FIFA world rankings, the Vietnamese team still had to struggle to overcome hosts Laos on the evening of November 19th, winning by a margin of two goals.

In March 2025, the Vietnamese national team easily defeated Laos 5-0. At that time, coach Kim Sang-sik's team employed a tactical approach focused on ball control and proactive attacking. However, after their impressive opening match in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team's performance gradually became inconsistent, the players lost their enthusiasm on the field, and their effectiveness declined.

Kim Sang-sik's team's recent performances have been less appealing, stemming from a lack of effectiveness in attack. Currently, the experienced players are gradually entering the twilight of their careers due to age, forcing Coach Kim Sang-sik to use new players. Through training camps and matches during the most recent FIFA Days, the South Korean strategist has introduced some talents from the U22 age group, but they are still not strong enough to replace the older generation.

The Vietnamese national team (center) needs to improve significantly if they want to turn the tide against Malaysia. (Photo: VFF)

Despite winning all three of their recent matches, Coach Kim's team has yet to clearly demonstrate their playing style. Against two weaker opponents, Nepal and Laos, Vietnam's attacking play was very poor, lacking the quick, short passes in midfield, and mainly relying on overlapping runs and wing attacks. This style of play is easily countered by opponents and ineffective against defenses with strong physical presence or multiple layers.

Midfield duo Hoang Duc and Quang Hai are both top-class players in Vietnamese football, but they haven't been able to fully showcase their talents when playing together in the midfield. Similarly, Nguyen Tien Linh is a striker with diverse finishing abilities but lacks unpredictability and is slow to adapt if closely marked by opposing defenders.

The only bright spot in the victory against Laos on November 19th was the enthusiasm and dynamism of strikers Nguyen Xuan Son and Pham Tuan Hai. They helped Vietnam break through Laos's dense and disciplined defense. This duo, who came on as substitutes, scored goals that kept Vietnam's hopes alive for a place in the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

However, if the Vietnamese team does not strengthen its attack and improve its performance, it will be very difficult to reverse the situation and achieve the goal of a resounding 5-goal victory against Malaysia in the rematch between the two teams at the end of March 2026.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhat-nhoa-tuyen-viet-nam-196251120213442885.htm