The first 6 months of 2024 are considered a "disaster" for the Vietnam National Team. Three consecutive defeats against Indonesia caused the team to be eliminated early in the 2023 Asian Cup finals and stopped in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
Coach Philippe Troussier - had to say goodbye early after disappointing defeats. The Vietnam Football Federation has chosen a Korean coach, Mr. Kim Sang-sik. There is no denying the efforts of coach Kim Sang-sik in the past 5 months, partly arousing the fighting spirit of the Vietnam team as well as creating an identity in the playing style. However, in terms of results, the 1976-born coach has not been able to meet the expectations of fans.
After 4 matches, Vietnam only won 1 match against the Philippines, then lost to stronger opponents such as Russia, Iraq and especially Thailand. It should be added that in that rare victory, Vietnam also struggled to defeat the Philippines with a score of 3-2.
The preparation journey for the ASEAN Cup 2024 of the Vietnamese team is not going smoothly. The period from now until the start of the ASEAN Cup 2024 is not favorable to coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. With this new timeline, the VFF's arrangement of an international friendly match with another opponent cannot be implemented and the alternative plan is to play an internal match with Nam Dinh Club on October 9 and the Vietnamese team won closely with a score of 3-2. The story of November is what makes the Vietnamese team hesitate. Because not long ago, the Southeast Asian Football Federation changed the schedule of the ASEAN Cup 2024 from the end of November to mid-December due to some objective factors related to the schedule of the AFC Champions League club level.
Immediately, VFF and VPF had to adjust the V.League match schedule, when rounds 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 were arranged to be pushed up to ensure that the Vietnam National Team can gather again after November 20. The purpose of VFF is to help the players have 2 consecutive weeks of concentration before the ASEAN Cup 2024. The problem is that the FIFA Days match schedule only takes place from November 11 to 19. This means that if they gather after November 20, the Vietnam National Team will also miss the opportunity to compete with other national teams in the upcoming FIFA Days. Without quality "green troops" to compete with, will coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnam National Team be confident towards the ASEAN Cup 2024, especially when Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are all well prepared?
