Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong admits pressure from jersey number 22 in the Vietnamese national team. The jersey number originally belonged to Nguyen Tien Linh, the striker who has affirmed his position with 26 goals in 65 matches for the national team. Pressure is understandable and also reflects a common problem in life.
The shirt itself does not cause trouble. Pressure appears when you attach meaning to it, attach memories, goals, expectations, comparisons... And what is worth mentioning is that most of that pressure does not come from outside, but from within each person. That is a very common psychological mechanism. When standing in front of a new position, a new job, or simply another role in the collective, people tend to look at the predecessor. If that person is good, we unconsciously set a higher standard than the necessary reality. From there, all actions are scrutinized through the standard lens of others. The problem is that comparison is a double-edged sword. It can create motivation, but it can also easily paralyze people. When the set standards exceed current capacity, the brain moves from an action state to a defensive state. Fear of being wrong, fear of being judged, fear of not being good enough, leading to self-deprecation, reduced performance.
A shot that goes wide of the goal can normally be just an error, but when wearing the jersey number associated with a key striker, it is easily exaggerated. Pressure, therefore, is no longer an objective factor, but becomes an internal story. Many "new Ronaldos", "new Messis" have... "died young" because of their own expectations and psychological barriers.
The way to escape is not to avoid pressure, but to redefine it. Instead of scrutinizing other people's standards, just be yourself, carrying your own qualities, talents, and skills, and only a number on your back.
The shirt does not determine the success or failure of the player. Title does not determine people. The important thing is the ability to separate yourself from the attached symbols, to return to your actual ability and development process. What should be done is not to overtake others, but to stop making it difficult for yourself.
