Vietnam National Team: The Gaps Behind the Joy

Vic tory 7-0 over Timor Leste on the opening day of the ASEAN Cup 2026 provided an ideal start in terms of results for the Vietnam national team. However, behind the attacking display, experts noticed ripples in the defense, where gaps continuously appeared against a much weaker opponent.

The performance in the opening match witnessed the explosion of Vietnam's attack. The offensive front played brilliantly with a hat-trick from Đình Bắc, a double from Đỗ Hoàng Hên, and two goals shared by Nguyễn Xuân Son and captain Nguyễn Quang Hải. Besides the scoring power, the spirit of dedication was also clearly shown through situations where Hoàng Hên and Xuân Son were willing to drop deep and sacrifice themselves to block the opponent's shots even when the team was leading with a safe margin.

However, behind the 'goal feast' are existing worries in the defensive area. The 'leaks' in the defensive system are the central tactical problem that coach Kim Sang Sik needs to solve soon. In the context of a much weaker opponent, coach Kim Sang Sik proactively shuffled personnel to find new options. Goalkeeper Lê Giang Patrik was given the starting chance, with a back three consisting of Đoàn Văn Hậu, Nguyễn Thành Chung, and Phạm Xuân Mạnh.

This change caused the defensive structure to operate not smoothly and created some disjointed moments. Timor Leste many times organized simple one-two passes to penetrate Vietnam's defense. The clearest example occurred in the 53rd minute of the match, when midfielder Claudio Osorio comfortably crossed the ball for a teammate to jump high and head the ball close to the goal.

Just 6 minutes later, in the 59th minute, Vietnam's right flank was torn open again, allowing the opponent's player to hit the post of Lê Giang Patrik's goal. Most worrying was the situation in the 89th minute, when from a corner kick, Juvito Moniz easily headed the ball in the penalty area due to Đoàn Văn Hậu's negligence, creating an opportunity for Pereira to take a shot from just about 5 meters. This is not the first time the defensive system has shown leaks, as a similar picture occurred in the friendly match against Myanmar when the opponent quickly transitioned.

The key issue lies in maintaining the team's distance. The gaps between the center-backs and full-backs were often exposed. The arrangement of the central midfield pair Nguyễn Quang Hải and Nguyễn Hoàng Đức helped dominate in terms of control, but lacked a deep defensive screening option. When the midfield pushed high to support the attack, the space behind them became an easy target to exploit.

Observation from reality shows that recently coach Kim Sang Sik often has Vietnam actively push the formation 10-15 meters higher than the goal to optimize pressing and transition ability. The attacking-oriented mindset helps attacking players like Xuân Son, Hoàng Hên, or Đình Bắc maximize their potential. However, the gaps exposed behind the defense require extremely precise cover, which this system clearly has not yet provided absolute assurance.

The victory over Timor Leste is only the beginning of the campaign. The next away challenge will be much tougher when Vietnam has to go to Indonesia's Pakansari Stadium. The island nation's team possesses a quality squad with many naturalized players such as Eliano Reijnders, Jens Raven, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Saddil Ramdhani, and tall striker Mitchell Baker (1.96m). Coach Kim Sang Sik and his staff have only about 10 days to tighten defensive discipline before entering the crucial major match.

Let's wait for the big matches of the Vietnam national team against higher-level opponents. Only then will all of coach Kim Sang Sik's calculations be truly tested under immense pressure.