Commentator Quang Huy: 'The Vietnam national team is ready for greater challenges'

Commentator Vu Quang Huy believes that to successfully defend the ASEAN Cup championship, the Vietnam national team needs to overcome the heavy test named Indonesia in the group stage before considering fierce clashes with Thailand or Malaysia in the knockout stage.

* Sports & Culture: The ASEAN Cup 2026 has started with many interesting things. What are your feelings about the "big picture" of Southeast Asian football at the moment?

- Commentator Vu Quang Huy: The matches of the ASEAN Cup 2026 so far have unfolded with a familiar script, that is, a display of power from the top contenders. Although the gap in quality between national teams is gradually narrowing, the composure of the "big guns" remains the key to deciding the outcome of the matches.

If the "underdog" teams add flavor to the tournament, the "big guns" assert their position by overcoming difficult moments. Composure is not about winning easily, but about how to turn the tide when facing difficulties. After all the fluctuations on the pitch, the value of the word "composure" is still most clearly defined by the "big guns" of regional football.

* The Vietnam national team has had a smooth start. In your opinion, will that be a perfect run-up for the goal of defending the championship?

- The win over Timor Leste is just the beginning of the campaign. Greater challenges await the Vietnam national team in the upcoming matches when they have to face direct competitors like Indonesia or Thailand.

Of course, Timor Leste is not yet a big enough test to confirm the true strength of the Vietnam national team's attack. Stronger opponents will require the team to maintain cohesion, efficiency, and the ability to create breakthroughs in tight spaces.

The positive point in the Vietnam national team's attack now is that it no longer depends on a single individual. Xuan Son is both a target and a "satellite" creating space for teammates, while Dinh Bac, Hoang Hen, and other options like Tai Loc are ready to step up. Coach Kim Sang Sik is possessing a diverse and unpredictable attack in the journey to successfully defend the ASEAN Cup 2026 title.

* After a favorable start, Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players have had a very valuable 6-day rest period. In your opinion, how will the Vietnam national team use this break to fine-tune better?

- For Coach Kim Sang Sik, the 6-day gap until the next match is not a time for his players to relax or be satisfied. On the contrary, this is a "golden break" for the Korean coach to implement a series of important adjustments in personnel, fitness, and tactics, in preparation for the tougher challenges ahead.

The first and most important task during the rest days is the recovery problem. The match against Timor Leste, although ending with a lopsided score, the high-intensity play and immediate travel from Thailand back to Hanoi have somewhat depleted the physical strength of the Vietnam team.

Therefore, a reasonable distribution of rest time is extremely necessary because the upcoming schedule is very harsh. Right after hosting Singapore at home, the Vietnam team will have less than 3 days to prepare and fly to Indonesia to be a guest at the fiery Pakansari Stadium on August 3.

Therefore, the physical foundation accumulated and recovered during these days will be the key factor determining the team's stamina in the upcoming "mountain climbing" series of increasingly difficult matches.

* That is the story of physical recovery. What about the adjustments in playing style?

- Winning big in the opening match is a perfect run-up, but Coach Kim Sang Sik is known as a meticulous and perfectionist commander. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his staff surely have also seen many points that need "fine-tuning". Typically, the connection between the veterans and the new faces.

The brilliant performance of newcomer Hoang Hen with a brace, or Nguyen Dinh Bac's hat-trick, along with goals from Xuan Son and Nguyen Quang Hai, demonstrated formidable attacking power. However, the operation of that machine still had some faulty rhythms at times. At some moments, haste in the final finish or lack of concentration in the defense during the opponent's rare counter-attacks still occurred.

Perhaps, the Vietnam team will refine the team's spacing, especially the ability to transition from defense to attack. Clearly, the team cannot afford to be careless, because both Singapore and Indonesia will surely be tough opponents with a much better ability to punish mistakes than Timor Leste.

* Looking at the specific individuals in the current Vietnam team, do you feel any "deficiencies" in any positions?

- Although the Vietnam team possesses many quality strikers, in the midfield they lack a defensive midfielder with good physique and the ability to play physically. This will be a difficult problem for Coach Kim Sang Sik when the team faces tough opponents like Indonesia or Thailand at the ASEAN Cup 2026.

The Vietnam team has a diverse attack and good goalkeepers. The midfield has creative and unpredictable players. However, we lack a strong ball-winning midfielder. When we play against weaker opponents, the duo Quang Hai-Hoang Duc may not be strong in duels but still provide reassurance because they have the ability to escape pressing, control the tempo, maintain rhythm, and create stability in the game.

However, when playing against strong opponents, we still need a defensive midfielder with the ability to contest and battle. We need a central midfielder who plays in a "box-to-box" style. In theory, Le Pham Thanh Long is the true defensive midfielder of the Vietnam team. Perhaps Coach Kim Sang Sik will use Thanh Long at appropriate times to maximize effectiveness.

* The Singapore team, our next opponent, has also had a favorable start. In your opinion, will Singapore's pragmatic style of play be a challenge for the Vietnam team?

- Undeniably, the two recent victories create a perfect springboard for Singapore. The Lion Island team sometimes lacks composure in building play from the back, while also exposing dangerous gaps to the opponent's quick counter-attacks. Nevertheless, securing the maximum 6 points and a solid defense is a sign of a clear maturation in their match composure.

Regarding the upcoming match against Singapore, it is likely that Coach Kim Sang Sik will continue to make changes in the starting lineup. Smooth rotation of the squad not only helps key players save energy for the decisive match against Indonesia but also diversifies the playing style, making it difficult for opponents to figure out.

The combination of the stars' power together with a resilient fighting spirit will be a solid foundation for the Vietnam team to aim for the goal of successfully defending the Southeast Asian championship.

* Thank you very much for the conversation!