The performance of the Vietnam team
On the evening of October 9, the Vietnam team hosted Nepal at home in the third match of Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup final qualifiers. The "Golden Star Warriors" entered the match determinedly and soon opened the score thanks to Tien Linh's shot.
But the opponent unexpectedly equalized from a corner kick, Shrestha jumped high to head the ball back into balance after only 8 minutes.
In the second half, Nepal began to show many gaps when there were only 10 people on the field due to the red card of player number 10. The Vietnamese team took advantage of the opportunity to increase pressure, scoring 2 goals thanks to Xuan Manh and Van Vi, thereby winning 3-1 to continue to maintain second place in Group F.
Evaluating the performance of the Vietnamese team, commentator Ngo Quang Tung said: "I think that the match achieved the basic goal of winning. We have clearly seen the opponents and the players' form. Personally, I find such a style of play acceptable.
Nepal proactively defended its dense depth. The Vietnamese team held the ball to attack both sides. Some players played mobile and positively such as Hai Long, Tien Anh, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.
However, I don't think the whole team played well. There was a slight lack of concentration and inappropriate assessment of the other person. Some players did not play with determination, not at the highest intensity. The deadlock of the Vietnamese team has lasted for a long time. It was not until the 70th minute that everything became easy even though the opponent had been missing players for a long time".
Fans commented that the Vietnamese team's penetrations into the penalty area were not sharp enough, unable to cause breakthroughs and necessary danger in front of the goal. Many people also think that the home team is lacking breakthroughs like Cong Phuong or Van Toan.
However, commentator Quang Tung said: "Actually, I don't think that way. Without one player, there is another. Hai Long and Tuan Hai's playing style is quite reasonable. I want to say that the attacking midfielder position in this game needs to be different when the opponent plays very low.
The attacking midfielder needs to play higher. After the 70th minute, everything changed completely and Nepal was also exhausted. The Vietnamese team needs to be more determined and aggressive".
Is it time to use more naturalized players?
Recently, the use of naturalized players has been a topic of increasing mention, especially in the context of opponents Indonesia and Malaysia increasing naturalization factors to increase squad strength.
After the victory over Nepal, when the Vietnamese team had not played really explosively, the issue of calling up and using some naturalized players such as Gustavo, Geovane, Hendrio (who are awaiting naturalization) was once again mentioned.
Commentator Quang Tung shared his opinion: "It is not completely like that. The quality of foreign-born players will be better, but clearly for opponents like Nepal, there is no need. For the longer journey, the Vietnamese team really needs naturalized players to increase their strength".
He also emphasized: "If Malaysia is not fined after the incident in the first leg, the current situation for the Vietnamese team to have a good head-to-head result after the 0‐4 loss will not be easy at all. Even though they lost 7 naturalized players, it is still unclear whether they will lose 0‐3. If we only count the current force and add a few naturalized players, it will not be easy to win 4‐0, 5‐0".
In fact, in matches against weak opponents such as Nepal or Laos, the domestic force can still play a leading role. However, on long routes or in higher tournaments, using quality naturalized players is also a choice to consider to increase strength.
"It is good to naturalize the above group of players to have more professional options. But if we say that this is a long-term in-depth 'project', it will be difficult, because some people are injured, others are also old.
I think they are still better than domestic players, but if we say the long-term competition in the national team, it is not completely. Obviously, this is not a long-term problem," said Mr. Tung.
