What will the Vietnamese women's team take to the 2031 World Cup?

Vietnam women's team is gradually losing key players.

FIFA has officially increased the number of teams participating in the 2031 Women's World Cup to 48, opening up a golden opportunity for mid-range teams like Vietnam. In theory, this means that Asia, which only has 6 direct slots, can be expanded by 1-2 more slots. But the opportunity is only a part. More importantly, how will the Vietnamese women's team win a ticket to the World Cup again?

The 2023 World Cup is the first time the Vietnamese women's team has participated. The squad at that time had a fairly high average age. Veterans such as Huynh Nhu, Tuyet Dung, Chuong Thi Kieu, Tran Thi Kim Thanh,... were irreplaceable pillars. But less than a year later, many of these names could no longer maintain their peak performance or gradually turned to coaching. Some players even did not play regularly due to injuries.

The problem is that in recent training sessions, the coaching staff has been unable to find a suitable next generation in terms of skill level. The new players are mostly young, inexperienced in international competition and have not shown any real outstanding performance at the club level. That is, the next generation exists but is not strong enough to create trust.

One of the big questions lies in the youth training system itself. While men’s football has dozens of large and small centers, the number of teams participating in the national championship can be counted on the fingers of one hand in the women’s playground. Many teams such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Thai Nguyen have to “carry” many positions. The competition density and limited budget make youth training almost ignored.

Ho Chi Minh City is an example, the treatment from some opponents forced them to reluctantly say goodbye to many pillars such as Bich Thuy, Kim Thanh... They won the 2024 national championship but the squad depends largely on players who are on the other side of the career slope, including overseas Vietnamese players. The young force has almost no outstanding players. If even the champion has to "patch up" with the last choices, then the women's World Cup dream clearly lacks a solid foundation.

FIFA increases the number of teams participating in the 2031 Women's World Cup. But how can Vietnamese women's football participate in the World Cup?

On the other hand, it is impossible not to mention the human factor in the coaching staff. Coach Mai Duc Chung, who is considered a “big tree” of Vietnamese women’s football, has devoted most of his career to the team. But after decades, the question is: “Why is there still only Mai Duc Chung?”

Among those currently “interested” in women’s football, coach Van Thi Thanh is the one with the highest qualifications, possessing an AFC pro license. However, the former Ha Nam player only has experience as an assistant in youth women’s teams and recently led the Thai Nguyen women’s team, lacking practical experience in continental-level playgrounds.

Coach Doan Thi Kim Chi has won many championships with the Ho Chi Minh City women's team in domestic competitions, recently reaching the finals of the Asian Women's Club Championship. At the same time, she has been the "right-hand man" of Coach Mai Duc Chung in the Vietnam women's team for many years. However, Coach Doan Thi Kim Chi lacks important certificates to "stand in class".

FIFA opens the door, but the Vietnamese women's team must walk through it. Rejuvenation is a must, but rejuvenation does not mean a lack of foundation. The next generation cannot just "appear seasonally" or depend on overseas Vietnamese.

What is needed most now is a comprehensive strategy: improving the quality of the national women's tournament, investing systematically in the youth team, expanding the training of young coaches, creating more opportunities for international competition... Otherwise, the opportunity for the 2031 World Cup will continue to be a distant dream. At that time, the question "Who will replace Huynh Nhu?" will continue to be left unanswered.

Source: https://znews.vn/tuyen-nu-viet-nam-lay-gi-di-world-cup-2031-post1552377.html