Football is a game of physical strength, speed but cannot be lacking in intelligence. Therefore, sometimes, actions both on and off the pitch make the concept of war become distorted. For example, in the extra minutes of the U23 Southeast Asian final on the evening of July 29, the image of an assistant coach spreading a bottle of water throughout the technical area to prevent the opponent from doing the familiar throw-in-in- matches could be asked: What are we teaching the young players?
At that moment, that action was considered a "smart move", a way to "break" the opponent's shot without breaking the rules. But let's look deeper: What does it leave in the minds of people inside and outside?
The pitch is not only a place to measure technique and physical strength, but also a huge classroom, where every action of teachers on the sidelines is captured in the eyes and printed into memory by young players. When a coaching staff member publicly uses tricks, what will prevent a young player from thinking that winning at all costs is more important than all?
Vietnamese football is still going to answer the question "how to get big", not only to win regional medals but also to be respected internationally. That road is certainly not paved with acts of circumventing the law under the name of "war". Authentic strategy must come from ideas, from careful preparation and superior class.
