But then that joy was as fragile as an early tomorrow in March - beautiful, because there were still winds that made people feel cold. Because we have had young generations that make Southeast Asia look good: From Cong Phuong, Quang Hai to recent faces of U23, U20... But then, when we step up to the highest level - the national team - there is another story: Lack of stability, lack of breakthroughs, and seemingly... lack of direction.
Vietnamese football has improved much in youth training in recent years. But from "training" to "achieving" is a thorny journey, which not every player can go all the way - because the system itself does not lead them to the end.
Vietnamese youth football is like young shoots growing in greenhouses: Beautiful, even, and well cared for in training centers. But stepping out of there - that is, to V.League - the atmosphere immediately changed. Few clubs dare to put long-term trust in young players. They choose safety, choose foreign players, choose old faces carefully instead of giving the future an existing opportunity.
And the whole matter of being willing to commit, go abroad, to develop oneself, to accumulate experience. And football is not the stage of expectations. It is a game of those who dare to give opportunities, dare to seize opportunities. As long as the national championship has not become a solid bridge, every miracle at the youth level is just an unforgettable dream.
The national team cannot be a place to "starts" for talents, but must be a place to "starts". The national team cannot rely on the "golden generations" forever, but needs a continuous flow of personnel. To do so, the journey from youth to youth must be a smooth path, not a bridge connecting two worlds. So that every time we look to the future, we not only see a few prominent names, but see an entire system operating in the right direction.
And perhaps, the most necessary thing right now is not just to make an impression in any youth tournament, but a mechanism for each player after shining moments at 17, 19... not to get lost in their own journey.
