Vietnam team lost heavily on Malaysia field

( Video source: VTV)

Vietnam suffered a tough match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, losing 0-4. Although Filip Nguyen played brilliantly in the first half to keep a clean sheet under the tremendous pressure from the opponent's nine naturalized players, Vietnam could not withstand the pressure in the second half.

Figueiredo and Holgado's goals after individual mistakes and a weakened defense exposed an inherent weakness of Vietnamese football: physical strength.

Vietnam national football team lost to Malaysia's naturalized players - Photo: Ho Hoang Hai

The players showed signs of "running out of battery" from the middle of the second half, losing in most of the contested situations against a Malaysia team full of strength, speed and stature thanks to FAM's effective naturalization policy.

This defeat is a wake-up call for Vietnamese football. It not only reflects the physical problem but also shows the remarkable change of Malaysian football and the whole Southeast Asian region thanks to naturalized players.

This is the time for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team to take a serious look, review their strategy to set goals more suitable to their current level.

Score:

Malaysia: Figueiredo (49'), Holgado (59'), Corbin Ong (67'), Dion Cools (89')

Line-up

Malaysia: Syihan Hazmin, Matthew Davies, Tomas Garces, Irazabal Iraurgui, Arif Aiman, Hector Hevel, Vitor Figueiredo, Nooa Laine, Holgado, Dion Cools, Corbin Ong.

Vietnam: Nguyen Filip; Do Duy Manh, Thanh Chung (Xuan Manh 38'), Tien Dung (Ly Duc 46'), Van Vi (Tuan Hai 46'), Hoang Duc, Minh Khoa (Tien Linh 71'), Tien Anh, Hai Long (Quang Hai 60'), Pentdant Quang Vinh, Ngoc Quang.