Looking back at the Asian Cup draw: Vietnam was actually lucky.

The draw for the 2027 Asian Cup group stage placed Vietnam in Group E alongside South Korea, UAE, and Yemen/Lebanon, raising concerns that it will be a difficult group.

The draw placed Vietnam in a not-too-bad group - Photo: VF F

However, looking more closely at the balance of power and the events of the draw, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team may have received more advantages than imagined. In fact, Vietnam's chances of advancing are quite high.

The group stage isn't easy, but it's not too daunting either.

Immediately after the draw results were announced, the general feeling among fans was one of anxiety. South Korea is a top Asian powerhouse, the UAE is upgrading with several quality naturalized players, while the representative from the fourth seeded group remains an unknown quantity.

Compared to Group F, which includes Japan, Qatar, Thailand, and Indonesia, Vietnam's Group E is considered one of the toughest groups in the tournament. However, a closer analysis reveals that the Vietnamese team is not actually facing the worst-case scenario.

In the top seed group, facing South Korea is almost unavoidable, as all the teams are of a high caliber. However, in many respects, facing South Korea might be easier than encountering Japan, Iran, or host nation Saudi Arabia.

Japan currently remains the number one team in Asia with superior squad depth. Iran is always extremely difficult to play against thanks to their pragmatic, physically demanding style, while Saudi Arabia has the advantage of playing at home along with the pressure from the referee and the atmosphere in the stands. Facing Australia, who are good at long balls, and Uzbekistan, who possess good technique, are also formidable opponents.

Conversely, the Vietnamese team has some reason to be confident when facing South Korea. Earlier this year, Vietnamese football created a surprise when the U23 Vietnam team defeated U23 South Korea in the continental tournament. Although the senior national team level is a different story, that victory has helped the Vietnamese players overcome some of their initial apprehension.

More importantly, coach Kim Sang-sik is Korean. This coach certainly has a good understanding of the tactical thinking, operational style, and strengths and weaknesses of his home country's football. This doesn't automatically make Vietnam the favorite, but it can provide better strategies to limit the opponent's strengths.

In the second seed group, facing the UAE could also be considered a "relatively fortunate" outcome. Compared to the defending champions Qatar, Iraq, or Jordan, who have just qualified for the World Cup, the UAE is clearly a more accessible opponent.

The Vietnamese national team is no stranger to the UAE. We have defeated them in the 2007 Asian Cup and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. These positive memories, to some extent, create the belief that the UAE is not an invincible opponent.

Results of the 6 groups - Photo: VFF

The opportunity to advance is still wide open for Kim Sang-sik and his team.

The biggest positive point for the Vietnamese team probably lies in being in the fourth seed group. Whether their final opponent is Lebanon or Yemen, this is still a much more favorable option than having to face North Korea or Indonesia with a full complement of naturalized players.

Both Lebanon and Yemen have been opponents against whom the Vietnamese national team has had favorable results in the past. These teams also don't possess a squad of high-quality naturalized players like the UAE. Their performances in the Asian Cup qualifiers haven't been particularly convincing either.

If the realistic goal is to compete for a spot in the next round, having a manageable opponent from Group 4 is extremely important. The Asian Cup doesn't just award a spot to the top two teams in each group, but also gives a chance to the four best third-placed teams. This opens up a bigger opportunity for teams like Vietnam.

A seemingly small detail, but one with strategic significance, is that Vietnam is placed in Group E. This means the final round of matches in the group will take place 1-2 days after the results in Groups A, B, C, and D have been finalized.

In a scenario where they cannot secure one of the top two spots, the Vietnamese team can still carefully consider goal difference or the number of goals needed to qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Therefore, instead of being overly worried after the draw, the Vietnamese team can look at Group E from a more positive perspective. It's not easy, but it's not hopeless either. And in football, sometimes a little luck from the draw can open up a memorable journey.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhin-lai-boc-tham-asian-cup-viet-nam-thuc-ra-da-gap-may-post1650744.html