Unlike women's volleyball, as Vietnamese girls are increasingly brave, mature and know how to break away in key moments, the men's team is still struggling between the limits of potential and limitations. The failures at the AVC Nations Cup 2025 are a miniature image of a long-standing problem: Compete mentality.
It is undeniable that the players' physique, jumping ability or technique have made progress. But Vietnamese men's volleyball still lacks one very important thing: courage when facing pressure. Against Qatar, we took the lead and lost 2-3. Against Indonesia, even leading 2-0 before the scenario repeated the result. In the final match, when they needed to win to improve their position, coach Tran Dinh Tien's students continued to collapse after taking the lead. That does not stop at the issue of expertise, but deeply is the instability in psychology, the inability to maintain concentration and courage at the decisive moment.
The team has outstanding individuals, but lacks a flexible playing style and courage to maintain the advantage when the opponent takes the lead. On the contrary, this is something that women's volleyball is doing very well, from practicing psychology, continuous international competition experience, to the factor that people still call "the indomitable spirit of Vietnamese women".
We cannot just blame the players. In sports, reverse losses are still common, but when they happen consecutively, it is a warning. In fact, not only men's volleyball but many other sports in Vietnam are in great need of a reconstruction from the root, especially from the psychological perspective.
Failure is to learn. But if it does not change, it will still be sad lessons.
