Vietnam team at historic crossroads

Heavy defeats against teams with many naturalized players from Malaysia or Indonesia pose a problem for Vietnamese football, which is choosing between achievements or identity.

The Vietnam team is facing an important crossroads. Photo: Tam Minh .

The 0-4 loss to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on the evening of June 10 was not only a heavy defeat in terms of score, but also put Vietnamese football before a turning point question: continue to preserve domestic identity or boldly change to keep up with the trend of naturalization spreading in Southeast Asia?

The undeniable truth

The difference in skill level was obvious. Even when the Vietnamese players tried their best, they still could not keep up with the speed, strength and physical superiority of their opponents.

The image of midfielder Hai Long surrounded by naturalized Malaysian players is a clear demonstration of the inferiority of the Vietnamese team. And it cannot be forgotten that in 2024, Indonesia - a team that is also taking full advantage of the naturalization policy - defeated Vietnam 3-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

It is no coincidence that countries like Malaysia, Indonesia - even Thailand and the Philippines - have begun to orient their personnel strategies around naturalized players. Because from a professional perspective, the difference in physique, fitness and speed between Southeast Asian players and those from developed football regions like South America or Africa is a gap that is very difficult to bridge.

Expert Nguyen Tuan Phong, who has many years of experience in youth training at PVF Academy, told Tri Thuc - Znews : "No matter how much we improve training, it is difficult for us to make up for the physical disadvantages of players from Argentina, Brazil or African countries."

He also emphasized that if we take Japan as a model, we need to understand that it took them decades to change the state of the whole society, not just in football.

Therefore, the naturalization policy is considered a shorter and more practical way. Initially, Malaysia and Indonesia only focused on regional tournaments such as the AFF Cup - which is not on the FIFA calendar, so they cannot call up players playing in Europe. However, in the past two years, they have clearly changed direction: looking for players of South American or European origin, with origins or who are eligible for naturalization according to the law, aiming for longer-term goals - the Asian Cup and the World Cup.

Hai Long argued with a Malaysian player on the evening of June 10. Photo: Tam Minh .

Malaysia showed remarkable results. The 4-0 victory over Vietnam was a strong affirmation of this transformation, in which the performance of Figueiredo - the striker who scored 12 goals in the 2024/25 Süper Lig season, or Facundo Garces - the central defender who played for Alaves in La Liga. These players not only dominated in terms of physique, but also demonstrated a different level of technical and tactical skills compared to the rest.

Indonesia is also reaping similar results with a squad that is almost entirely made up of naturalized or foreign-born players, and some local experts even believe that Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar are likely to follow suit soon.

It's time for the Vietnamese team to choose.

The question for Vietnamese football is: should we continue to maintain the identity of a "pure domestic" team, or dare to abandon prejudice to pursue achievements at the continental and world levels?

This question is not new. More than a decade ago, there were fierce debates when Phan Van Santos, Huynh Kesley or Hoang Vu Samson played for the national team. The wave of protests about “loss of identity” or “foreignization” at that time made Vietnamese football hesitate to implement similar policies. But times have changed.

“We are facing two clear choices,” said expert Tuan Phong. “One is to accept our current position and not expect much from the international arena. The other is to be ready to change – from immigration policies to modern development perspectives – if we want to catch up with the region.”

Will the face of the Vietnamese national team change with many naturalized players? Photo: Tam Minh .

Some will argue that Vietnamese football can still succeed with domestic players. In fact, at the ASEAN Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team defeated Indonesia 1-0 with a squad consisting mostly of domestic players, many of whom came from the U21 team.

But clearly, in non-FIFA Days tournaments – where teams cannot field their strongest squads – this temporary advantage does not reflect the actual position on the continental map.

Choosing identity or choosing achievements - that is not only a technical problem, but also a strategic problem, even cultural and cognitive. While Malaysia and Indonesia are gradually shaping new roles in Asia, Vietnamese football needs to be more decisive if it does not want to fall behind.

Source: https://znews.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-truoc-nga-re-lich-su-post1559927.html