For a nation with such a troubled history the lead-up to the Asian Cup has been hardly surprising.
Seven of Vietnam’s best young players were hauled off to prison on match-fixing charges and national coach Alfred Riedl’s liver needed a transplant.
On the bright side, the Austrian-born Riedl’s anonymous kidney donor was apparently one of the many Vietnamese football fans who offered to go under the knife for their much-loved coach.
Despite being the lowest ranked side in the Asian Cup, Vietnam’s stocks are on the rise, currently ranked at 140 after languishing 30 spots lower late last year.
At December’s Asian Games in Doha, a respectable 1-2 loss to Bahrain and a 0-2 defeat to regional power South Korea – the Koreans only scored their second in the 92nd minute when Vietnam was pushing for an equaliser – was followed by a big win over Bangladesh 5-1, with Phan Thanh Binh claiming a hat-trick.
The Asian Cup, however, will be a completely different proposition. “We are playing at home, we have the support, and of course, we will be looking to spring a surprise,” says Riedl, who was capped four times for Austria in the ’70s.
Vietnam will enjoy massive support from a football mad nation, but has struggled to reach its potential. It will rely on a group of unknowns from their V-League, in stark contrast to other Asian Cup nations with players from the biggest clubs in the world like Celtic, West Ham, Palermo, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United.
As we’ve seen with Dong Tam Long An in the Asian Champions League, the V-League produces willing Vietnamese players, who perhaps lack the physical and mental fortitude needed at the top level.
The V-league began in 2000 with 12 teams. The AFC’s Vision Vietnam project has also assisted Vietnamese football become more professional as it’s suffered over the years from poor organisation, infrastructure and corruption.
Riedl’s side will looking to 21-year-old excitement machine Le Cong Vinh. Well built and confident, he eschews the prevailing image of Nam footballers. This tournament is an ideal opportunity for him to shop himself to a bigger Asian league.
National team captain Nguyen Minh Phuong and “V-bomber” Phan Thanh Binh are also likely to shine when the side plays its three group games in the picturesque northern city of Hanoi.
FourFourTwo verdict
Fans and players will enjoy being underdogs. Advancing to the knockout stage though, will be extremely difficult.
On the bright side, the Austrian-born Riedl’s anonymous kidney donor was apparently one of the many Vietnamese football fans who offered to go under the knife for their much-loved coach.
Despite being the lowest ranked side in the Asian Cup, Vietnam’s stocks are on the rise, currently ranked at 140 after languishing 30 spots lower late last year.
At December’s Asian Games in Doha, a respectable 1-2 loss to Bahrain and a 0-2 defeat to regional power South Korea – the Koreans only scored their second in the 92nd minute when Vietnam was pushing for an equaliser – was followed by a big win over Bangladesh 5-1, with Phan Thanh Binh claiming a hat-trick.
The Asian Cup, however, will be a completely different proposition. “We are playing at home, we have the support, and of course, we will be looking to spring a surprise,” says Riedl, who was capped four times for Austria in the ’70s.
Vietnam will enjoy massive support from a football mad nation, but has struggled to reach its potential. It will rely on a group of unknowns from their V-League, in stark contrast to other Asian Cup nations with players from the biggest clubs in the world like Celtic, West Ham, Palermo, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United.
As we’ve seen with Dong Tam Long An in the Asian Champions League, the V-League produces willing Vietnamese players, who perhaps lack the physical and mental fortitude needed at the top level.
The V-league began in 2000 with 12 teams. The AFC’s Vision Vietnam project has also assisted Vietnamese football become more professional as it’s suffered over the years from poor organisation, infrastructure and corruption.
Riedl’s side will looking to 21-year-old excitement machine Le Cong Vinh. Well built and confident, he eschews the prevailing image of Nam footballers. This tournament is an ideal opportunity for him to shop himself to a bigger Asian league.
National team captain Nguyen Minh Phuong and “V-bomber” Phan Thanh Binh are also likely to shine when the side plays its three group games in the picturesque northern city of Hanoi.
FourFourTwo verdict
Fans and players will enjoy being underdogs. Advancing to the knockout stage though, will be extremely difficult.
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