Vietnam vs Bangladesh: Strong team needs 'hard confrontation'

Coach Kim Sang Sik once again shows he is a principled worker: Emphasizing performance factors, ready to cross the "safe zone" to put out a lineup capable of playing football most effectively. He does not hesitate to strike out names that were once pillars if they falter. Even with the U23s, despite pressure for "youth renewal," he is equally rigorous, only calling up names maintaining stable performance at club level after the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

This decision aligns with the context of the national team having more abundant resources. The fierce competition itself is the driving force to create a robust team. The emergence of naturalized factors like Đỗ Hoàng Hên has nearly transformed the nature of the attack, which was previously a headache for many foreign coaches.

With the duo Hoàng Hên - Xuân Son, scoring issues become much more fluid. This is not merely a supplement of physicality or technique. They bring a new vitality, a direct football mindset, and a high-pressure tolerance often lacking in domestic players.

Coach Kim Sang Sik once "transformed" the U23 team with a ball-control and pressing style on the opponent's half. Shifting from a defensive-counterattacking style to a more proactive approach, even when facing strong opponents. Naturalized players in the forward line will allow the Korean coach to apply that style at the national team.

This is an advantage that his predecessors like Park Hang Seo and Philippe Troussier could not have. Coach Kim Sang Sik is beginning to "receive" new resources from naturalized foreign players and overseas Vietnamese. Soon, these factors will occupy over 50% of the main lineup. Clearly, Coach Kim Sang Sik is at a golden moment to build a team of the highest caliber.

However, this theoretical "strengthening" will remain only on paper if not placed in a sufficiently harsh environment. The success of Vietnam's U23 generation is the crystallization of nearly 2 years of playing the best football in a series of quality friendly matches and a dense frequency of international matches. That pathway now needs to be applied thoroughly for the national team.

With FIFA approving the FIFA ASEAN Cup tournament organized in September, this year alone the Vietnam national team will play up to two regional tournaments, with overly familiar opponents. This is not necessarily a joyous matter. We cannot forever be content with "comfortable" friendly matches or easy victories against opponents below our level to exchange for beautiful statistical numbers.

To elevate, the team needs opponents of a higher caliber that force us to expose mistakes, teams strong enough to compel the "new version" of Mr. Kim's team to operate at maximum capacity.

Matches against Malaysia or Thailand should not be merely contests for titles, but opportunities to affirm that Vietnam has reached the level to play football proactively and dominate even in the most tense moments.

While awaiting the AFC Nations League plan that Asian football is projected to organize to soon materialize, the problem posed now is a schedule of high-quality friendly matches for Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team as soon as possible, rather than waiting until near the 2027 Asian Cup.